A second long weekend of action kicks off at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France on Thursday night, as the host nation take on Uruguay.
If the drama is anything like the first set of pool fixtures, fans around the world are in for a treat.
This Pool A contest is followed by New Zealand vs Namibia on Friday, ahead of six more group matches split between Saturday and Sunday.
France vs Uruguay – Pool A
Can Les Bleus make it two from two at their home 2023 Rugby World Cup?
Few would bet against it, as France meet Uruguay in a Pool A contest on Thursday evening at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.
It’s a trip north of capital city Paris for coach Fabien Galthie and his impressive side, who bolstered their status as tournament favourites with a storming opening night victory over New Zealand last Friday.
Damian Penaud and Melvyn Jaminet scored the second half tries at the Stade de France, as the hosts came from behind to confound the All Blacks.
Thoughts now turn to the South Americans, who make their World Cup entrance after taking a bye last week.
Los Teros came through their Americas qualifying play-off against the USA in fine style, overturning a first leg deficit in Montevideo to record a 50-34 success.
Now the job is to at least match their efforts in Japan four years ago, where they pinched a dramatic win over Fiji en route to a dignified pool stage exit.
What may help them are the 12 changes made to the starting team by coach Galthie, with only Cameron Woki, Gabin Villiere and Yoram Moefana retained from their All Blacks success.
Anthony Jelonch will captain Les Bleus from the base of the scrum.
Santiago Arata is one of a few familiar Uruguayan faces to French fans, with the scrum-half playing his club rugby in the country for Castres Olympique.
Four more squad members are based France, too, while their are 11 survivors from the 2019 World Cup in coach Esteban Meneses’ first tournament selection.
France Starting XV: 15 Melvyn Jaminet, 14 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 13 Arthur Vincent, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Gabin Villière, 10 Antoine Hastoy, 9 Maxime Lucu, 8 Anthony Jelonch (captain), 7 Sekou Macalou, 6 Paul Boudehent, 5 Romain Taofifenua, 4 Cameron Woki, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 2 Pierre Bourgarit, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros.
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Bastien Chalureau, 20 Thibaud Flament, 21 Francois Cros, 22 Baptiste Couilloud, 23 Thomas Ramos.
Uruguay Starting XV: 15 Baltazar Amaya, 14 Bautista Basso, 13 Tomas Inciarte, 12 Andres Vilaseca (captain), 11 Nicolas Freitas, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 9 Santiago Arata, 8 Manuel Diana, 7 Santiago Civetta, 6 Manuel Ardao, 5 Manuel Leindekar, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 3 Ignacio Peculo, 2 Guillermo Pujadas, 1 Mateo Sanguinetti.
Replacements: 16 Facundo Gattas, 17 Matias Benitez, 18 Reinaldo Piussi, 19 Ignacio Dotti, 20 Lucas Bianchi, 21 Carlos Deus, 22 Agustin Ormaechea, 23 Felipe Berchesi.
Kick Off Time: 21.00
RWC 2023: Margin and winner predictions for 14 – 17 September
Prediction methodology explained: The expected win percentage is based off publicly available odds or RugbyVision’s data model. Score margins use the methodology developed by Rugby Vision and Rugby4Cast.
Team | Win % | Win % | Team | Margin |
France | 99.8% | 0.2% | Uruguay | 51 |
New Zealand | 99.9% | 0.1% | Namibia | 61 |
Samoa | 92.1% | 7.9% | Chile | 20 |
Wales | 95.0% | 5.0% | Portugal | 24 |
Ireland | 99.0% | 1.0% | Tonga | 38 |
South Africa | 99.9% | 0.1% | Romania | 54 |
Australia | 75.1% | 24.9% | Fiji | 9 |
England | 88.1% | 11.9% | Japan | 17 |
Italy | 95.1% | 4.9% | Uruguay | 24 |