Adam Williams presents his prediction for the Friendly International rugby match.
This is the marquee match of the weekend, given the strength of both opponents. The French have the chance to extend their winning streak to three matches, while Argentina aim to avoid the start of a winless streak.
France
Just a week ago at the Stade de France, France secured a narrow victory over New Zealand (30:29), with the outcome undecided until the final moments. Prior to that, the French squad demolished Japan (52:12), a margin that was expected. France's last defeat was at the hands of Argentina. In July, they visited South America; they dominated the hosts in Mendoza (28:13), but in Buenos Aires, the home side prevailed (33:25). Argentina triumphed over France for the first time in six matches since June 2016 (30:19).
Argentina
Argentina’s last victory in France was at the Stade de France exactly 10 years ago on November 22, 2014 (18:13). In their previous autumn test, the team fell to Ireland (19:22). Despite the narrow scoreline, Argentina never led during the 80-minute match. A 10-minute sin-binning of Matías Moroni in the first minute had its impact. The hosts scored a try by the third minute and the game followed its path from there. The final score was set half an hour before the game ended.
France vs Argentina Prediction
While a victory for the visitors is not out of the question, it remains unlikely. The French turned the game around after trailing New Zealand by seven points at halftime, taking the lead and denying the opponent a final try in stoppage time. With the All Blacks currently stronger than Argentina, the French team are expected to win, but not by a large margin.
