Eight turns into four! After a weekend of some of the best rugby ever played, can the semifinals live up to expectations? And who will secure their place in the final?!
Read ahead for team lists and previews.
– RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023: Squads | Schedule | Standings | Podcast | Injuries
Friday, October 20
Argentina vs. New Zealand – (Stade de France, Saint-Denis; 9p.m. local / 6 a.m. AEDT / 8 p.m. GMT)
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Tele’a, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax, Samuel Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (captain), Ardie Savea.
Replacements: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Brodie Retallick, Dalton Papali’I, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.
Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia, Emiliano Boffelli, Lucio Cinti, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras, Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou; Thomas Gallo, Julián Montoya (captain), Francisco Gómez Kodela, Guido Petti Pagadizabal, Tomas Lavanini, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Marcos Kremer, Facundo Isa.
Replacements: Agustín Creevy, Joel Sclavi, Eduardo Bello, Matias Alemanno, Rodrigo Bruni, Lautaro Bazan Velez, Nicolas Sanchez, Matías Moroni.
Verdict: The All Blacks knocked out many people’s favourites Ireland in one of the great World Cup quarterfinals last Saturday, and now they face the task of getting past Michael Cheika’s Pumas. Argentina will take inspiration from the fact they managed to secure their first ever win over the All Blacks at Christchurch in 2022, but New Zealand have won their last two meetings and will be looking to make up for their semifinal heartbreak at the 2019 World Cup when they lost to England.
New Zealand make two changes from the side that got past Ireland with Mark Telea coming back on to the wing, after he was dropped from their quarterfinal for disciplinary reasons. The other switch sees Sam Whitelock start and Brodie Retallick named among the replacements. Hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho gets the nod on the bench ahead of Dane Coles. For Argentina, they make one switch – Gonzalo Bertranou starts at scrum-half ahead of Tomas Cubelli. If he comes on, Agustin Creevy will become the oldest player to play in a men’s Rugby World Cup semifinal, aged 38 years and 219 days.
This clash of the southern hemisphere powerhouses should be fascinating, with Cheika sure to have something up his sleeve for Ian Foster’s All Blacks, but it’ll be New Zealand who head into this as favourites.
Tip: New Zealand by 8.
— Tom Hamilton
Saturday, October 21
England vs. South Africa – (Stade de France, Saint-Denis; 9p.m. local / 6 a.m. AEDT / 8p.m. UK)
England:
South Africa:
Verdict:
Tip: