Eight days after the tournament kicked off, the perennially fashionable Samoa make their Rugby World Cup 2023 bow towards new crowd favourites Chile at Stade de Bordeaux.
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Chile’s sensible followers ramped up the environment when the South Americans made their first-ever look on rugby’s greatest stage towards Japan in Toulouse final week. Expect extra of the identical in Bordeaux.
FIXTURE: Samoa v Chile
GROUND: Stade de Bordeaux (42,060)
KICK-OFF: 15:00 native time (GMT+2)
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FIXTURE HISTORY
Chile and Samoa have by no means beforehand met in worldwide rugby.
MEMORABLE MATCH
Matches don’t come extra memorable than the primary one. Chile turned the primary staff to debut at a Rugby World Cup in 12 years once they took to the pitch in Toulouse towards Japan final week. Despite dropping, it’s a match Pablo Lemoine’s aspect will keep in mind for an extended, very long time.
In 1991, Samoa, then referred to as Western Samoa, made their first Rugby World Cup look – and set rugby tongues wagging once they beat Wales 16-13 in Cardiff, as they charged to the knockout part on the first time of asking.
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KEY TALKING POINT
Players who haven’t been concerned in worldwide rugby for 36 months can now play for a nation to which they’ve shut household ties – so former All Blacks Lima Sopoaga, Steven Luatua and Charlie Faumuina, and ex-Wallaby Christian Leali’ifano are actually eligible to play for the land of their forefathers.
PLAYER HEAD-TO-HEAD
Christian Leali’ifano v Rodrigo Fernandez. One of Chile’s heroes of Toulouse, hooker Diego Escobar, is on the bench, however one other – try-scoring fly-half Fernandez begins. He’s up towards the exceptional Leali’ifano within the half-back contest for tactical supremacy in Bordeaux. Leali’ifano, who made his Samoa debut towards Japan this yr, turns 36 on 22 September.
STATS-AMAZING
Before Nicolas Garafulic was pressured to withdraw due to harm, Chile had 4 units of brothers of their 33-player squad.
REF WATCH
Paul Williams (New Zealand). Due to COVID-19 restrictions on the time, in October 2020 Williams turned the primary New Zealand-born referee in 40 years to take cost of a Bledisloe Cup sport.
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TEAMS
SAMOA Duncan Paia’aua; Danny Toala, Ulupano Junior Seuteni, Tumua Manu, Nigel Ah-Wong; Christian Leali’ifano, Jonathan Taumateine; James Lay, Seilala Lam, Michael Alaalatoa (captain), Chris Vui, Theo McFarland, Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, Fritz Lee, Steven Luatua
Replacements: Sama Malolo, Jordan Lay, Paul Alo-Emile, Sam Slade, Sa Jordan Taufua, Ereatara Enari, Lima Sopoaga, Ed Fidow
CHILE Inaki Ayarza; Santiago Videla, Domingo Saavedra, Matias Garafulic, José Ignacio Larenas; Rodrigo Fernandez, Marcelo Torrealba; Javier Carrasco, Tomas Dussaillant, Matias Dittus, Pablo Huete, Santiago Pedrero, Martín Sigren (captain), Clemente Saavedra, Raimundo Martínez
Replacements: Diego Escobar, Salvador Lues, Esteban Inostroza, Javier Eissmann, Alfonso Escobar, Ignacio Silva, Benjamin Videla, Pablo Casas
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The Rugby World Cup trophy. Image: AFP
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