Reuters
Santiago Carreras. [Source: Reuters]
Argentina’s Santiago Carreras is back at flyhalf for their make-or-break Rugby World Cup Pool D clash against Japan, pushing centurion Nicolas Sanchez to the bench for tomorrow’s encounter in Nantes.
Sanchez celebrated his 100th cap with a flawless performance in the Pumas’s 59-5 demolition of Chile in their previous outing, but coach Michael Cheika kept faith in Carreras for his team’s decider against Japan.
The winners of the game at La Beaujoire stadium will go through to the quarter-finals alongside group winners England and the losers will pack up and go home.
Argentina will go through on points difference should the game end in a draw, unless Japan take a bonus point for scoring at least four tries and the Pumas do not.
Samoa and Chile have already been eliminated.
Since their opening defeat, the Pumas have been playing with the fear of elimination, meaning they are ready to deal with the pressure that comes with the Japan game.
Tomas Lavanini is back in the second row after nursing a leg injury while prop Francisco Gomez Kodela and centre Lucio Cinti will also start.
While Argentina were twice in the semi-finals, they failed to go through the group stage in 2019, a feat Japan achieved.
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