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Argentina and USA will square off on Wednesday in Pool C of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
It has been a disappointing World Cup for the Pumas, who are now in a position to play their last match of the World Cup without having any chances to advance to the quarterfinals. The 21-23 loss to France in the opening game put Argentina in a bad position right from the start, and they were not able to step up their level in the remaining games against Tonga (won 28-12) and England (lost 10-39, but an early red card for ARG determined the large scoreline). Overall, very disappointing for Argentina, who was looking good prior to the tournament and had high hopes.
The United States showed a lot of improvement over the last couple of years, rising in status above many other Tier 2 teams like Romania or Canada, and claiming a couple of famous wins over the likes of Samoa or even Scotland! USA came into the tournament very optimistic, but was humbled 7-45 by England in the first game. However, the Eagles put on a much improved performance in their next game against France. They lost 9-33, but were only trailing 9-12 with 15 minutes to go. Now they will aim to finish on a high in their last two matches against Argentina and Tonga. A third place finish (which grants automatic qualification for the next RWC) is still possible, but they would need to spring an upset against the Pumas here.
Bet on Argentina vs USA and claim a 100% (100 Eur) welcome bonus at 1XBet now!Team news & lineups:
Argentina will make 9 changes to the lineup which played England just 4 days ago, including a number of World Cup debuts. Veteran Leguizamon, the last remaining member of the 2007 World Cup bronze medalist team, will make his first appearance at the 2019 RWC in what will be his farewell match. USA will only make three changes to the starting XV which performed so well against France, as they have the luxury of a 7 day turnaround.
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Juan Cruz Mallia, 12 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 11 Santiago Carreras, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
USA: 15 Mike Te’o, 14 Blaine Scully, 13 Bryce Campbell, 12 Paul Lasike, 11 Marcel Brache, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Ruben De Haas, 8 Cam Dolan, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 6 Tony Lamborn, 5 Greg Peterson, 4 Nate Brakeley, 3 Titi Lamositele, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 1 Eric Fry
It`s hard to expect a vintage performance from Argentina here. They are coming after a four day turnaround, which will be extra difficult considering they played with 14 men for most of the match against England, thus putting in even more effort than normal. There will be 6 starters from that team, so there will be some tired legs.
Additionally, the players which will come in don`t seem to add a lot of value. The starting XV doesn`t look that great for Argentinian standards.
When you add the disappointment of losing out on qualification, and Argentina’s average display so far in the World Cup, it may be reasonable not to expect the best performance from them in this clash.
The Americans played really well against France, improving on their previous performance against England, and their statements before this Argentina game reflected a lot of confidence, which is probably a good thing.
They have reasons to be confident. They are a rugby nation on a rise, and will come into this match rested, while fielding a tested, cohesive lineup.
One particular thing that stood out from USA against France was their excellent discipline, and if they can repeat that against Argentina, they will be in a good position. The Pumas aren`t the most disciplined side, and with many fresh faces coming in the lineup, you can expect some errors from them. If USA avoids mistakes, they will be in a good position.
The bookies did their job pretty well and the handicap stands at just 20,5 points, which is probably 6-7 points lower than it would have been if this match were played at the start of the tournament. But considering all the circumstances, it might still be a bit high. USA is a team making progress and has the quality to keep the score respectable, so my tip will be the Americans to cover the spread. Prediction: Argentina – USA 34 – 21.
Pick: USA +20,5
Odds: 1.98 @ 18Bet
Stake: 9
Possible profit: 8.82
Event date: 9 October
