Argentina have won 8
of their last 12 meetings with France and look value to stay within a large
looking 10 point handicap no matter what the result in today’s Autumn
International. With England having lost to Australia earlier today, this match
seemingly offers Philippe Saint Andre’s side a golden opportunity to secure a
foothold in the world’s top 4 rankings ahead of their match against Samoa, but
anyone who has watched the Pumas through-ought this year know that quotes of 2/7
for the French are mentally short to say the least.
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| Louis Picamoles was immaculate last week and will need to be so again |
Admittedly the manner of their epic win over Australia –
themselves twice winners over the Pumas in the Rugby Championship makes those
quotes entirely understandable but so much of that dominance was achieved through
the scrum, and forward pack, an area at which the Pumas specialise, for all
that they’ve improved their play notably in other areas over the past year or
so. You can trust that Santiago Phelan’s men won’t go back at the set pieces
and their brick wall defence has had the very best of the Southern Hemisphere
worried at time in the Rugby Championship this season. The regular clashes
against top teams have been a godsend (and a long overdue one at that) have
given Phelan’s men the regular experience at a top class level that they’ve
been missing for so long and it showed emphatically against Wales, when Argentina
made the Grand Slam winners and World Cup semi-finalists look like a second
rate side with a superb second half blitz, which could have been yet more were
it not for two drop-goal attempts and three penalties. The offloading game used
there was superb and if it can be brought again then the France defence will
really be tested hard. Argentina made 7 clean line breaks against Wales; Do the
same here, and the win for France could become a tall order, let alone covering
a 10 point start. We can’t forget how impressive France were against Australia,
but the real test for them will be backing up the same performance this week
and Argentina are worthy of strong support to give them a massive test.
Advice
4 pts Argentina +10 (evs Boylesports)
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