Nkululeko Mcuma
In the first of four Northern vs. Southern Hemisphere quarter-finals, Wales and Argentina aim to secure a place in the Semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup 2023.
Having finished at the top of their group, thanks to highly impressive performances against Fiji and Australia, Warren Gatland’s men have shown their unity in the dressing room, despite the off-field distractions earlier in the year. Wales will be without the services of Taulupe Faletou; his impact at the back of the scrum will be missed.
Argentina will be looking for a repeat performance from the livewire winger Mateo Carreras, who scored a hat-trick and walked away with the player of the match award. I don’t anticipate quite the high-scoring affair, but the Argentinian backline will be crucial as the hulking figure of Pablo Matera limped off the field with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Both teams are evenly matched, and previous results support this, with one win each and a draw in their last three encounters. I expect the kickers to be busy, both out of hand and from the kicking tee; this should be a tightly contested match.
Key players for Wales: Dan Biggar, Dewi Lake, Aaron Wainwright, and Liam Williams.
Key players for Argentina: Mateo Carreras, Marcos Kremer, Emiliano Boffelli, and Julian Montoya.
Prediction: Wales by 3
