After failing to fire off a shot in their 27-10 defeat at the hands of 14-man England, Argentina will look to really kick-start their 2023 World Cup campaign when they face Samoa on Friday night.

Samoa got their tournament on French soil off to a winning start with a 43-10 victory over Chile but will face a much sterner test when they take on Los Pumas at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne.

Team news

After a disappointing performance against an England side that have had their struggles of late, Argentina head coach Michael Cheika has made three changes to his starting XV.

Prop Eduardo Bello and lock Guido Petti have been brought into the pack, while Matias Moroni is the only change in the backline at outside centre.

As for Samoa, the Pacific Islanders have also decided to make three changes from the side that saw off a spirited Chilean side in a comfortable victory in the end after what was a tight first half.

Paul Alo-Emile and Brian Alainu’u’ese come into the pack in the front row and second row respectively, while Ben Lam has been selected on the wing.

Samoa +6.5 first-half handicap @ EVS

Expect Samoa to come out of the blocks in traditional fashion in this one, as they look to unsettle Los Pumas with big tackles in the opening exchanges.

Argentina might well have had their confidence shaken after what was a lacklustre performance last time out against Steve Borthwick’s England.

The Red Rose were down to 14 men after a red card for flanker Tom Curry inside the first three minutes, yet Argentina could only muster one penalty and a converted try over the course of the 80 minutes.

It could be a cagey first 40 minutes in Saint-Etienne on Friday night, with rain expected before kick-off and during this match.

The conditions might well be a leveller and kicking for the posts is likely to be the approach from both sides in the early exchanges.

Samoa will look to keep themselves in the contest and look to be good value at Evens with a +6.5 half-time handicap here.

Samoa +13.5 handicap @ 20/21

Over the course of the 80 minutes, Argentina’s superior quality might well show as Samoan legs begin to tire late on.

Argentina are a battle-hardened side from years of playing the likes of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the Rugby Championship and should come out on top in this one.

However, Samoa have the attacking flair and the offload game to make this a closer contest than some might predict.

With that in mind, Samoa with a +13.5 handicap at 20/21 over the course of the 80 minutes looks to be the way to go here.