South Africa v Argentina (Sun)

South Africa v Argentina
Sunday, 14 October
Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 2000 BST
Live on BBC Radio 5live and the BBC Sport website

The last two unbeaten sides in the World Cup contest the second semi-final with South Africa taking on Argentina at the Stade de France on Sunday.

South Africa, who have won all 11 of their previous matches with the Pumas, will start the contest as favourites.

But Argentina, in the semis for the first time, have already upset France and Ireland in the tournament.

South Africa make one change with prop CJ van der Linde back after injury, while Argentina are unchanged.

On paper South Africa look to have the stronger team from 1-15 but Argentina, who beat the hosts in the opening match of the tournament, have come of age during their time in France.

The Pumas are the first side from outside the original eight powers of the game - the old Five Nations sides and the Tri-Nations teams - to have made it through to the World Cup semi-finals.

They continue to lack meaningful competition outside of the World Cup but their performances in France have surely made the case for their inclusion in either the Tri-Nations or Six Nations unarguable.

Their game has traditionally been built around the power of their pack and they even have a name for the way they scrummage, which they call the "bajada".

The South Americans remain a comparatively limited team, lacking the firepower out wide of some other sides, but they have much more strength in depth than previously.

Gifted fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez forms a superb half-back partnership with the intelligent Agustin Pichot, while Felipe Contepomi is a fine footballer at inside centre and Ignacio Corleto is a powerful force at full-back.

A game based around their mighty forwards and the sublime boot of Hernandez saw them beat France, Ireland and Scotland on their way to the last four but they may have to offer more out wide to reach the final.

South Africa have the firepower to match them up front and the Springbok backline is a much more potent weapon.

Star winger Bryan Habana goes into the match as the second-highest try scorer in the tournament so far with six, while ageless full-back Percy Montgomery is the leading points scorer with 76, 12 ahead of the Pumas' Felipe Contepomi.

South Africa coach Jake White has tried to play down his side's pre-match status as favourites, insisting: "People think we just have to arrive to beat Argentina and that South Africa should be the favourites.

"They think the pressure is on us to win the game, but they (Argentina) have beaten France and won at the Stade de France, not many people can say that in the past couple of years.

"So they are not the underdogs - to say that is a scary thing for us."

In addition to recalling Van der Linde, who missed the tense 37-20 quarter-final win over Fiji with a knee injury, White has made two changes on the bench.

Former captain Bobby Skinstad comes in for loose-forward Wikus van Heerden, while Bismarck du Plessis replaces hooker Gary Botha.

Argentina had injury concerns over Hernandez, Felipe Contepomi, Corleto and captain Pichot in the run-up to the match but the influential quartet have all recovered in time and they field the XV which ended Scotland's World Cup.

Coach Marcelo Loffreda, who takes over as Leicester boss after the tournament, has made one change to his bench, with centre Gonzalo Tiesi replacing utility back Hernan Senillosa.

Captain Pichot has been at the heart of the Pumas' run to the last four and he said that although they might not be the prettiest team in the tournament, they would not lack passion on Sunday night.

"We know we're not the best team tactically and technically. We don't have the runners that Australia and New Zealand have. We don't have the power and skills that they have," he said.

"We have a very simple game plan, we tackle our heads off. We've given everything in the last five games and we'll do the same against South Africa."

South Africa: Montgomery; Pietersen, Fourie, Steyn, Habana; James, Du Preez; Du Randt, Smit (capt), Van der Linde, Botha, Matfield, Burger, Smith, Rossouw.
Replacements: B du Plessis, J du Plessis, Muller, Skinstad, Pienaar, Pretorius, Olivier.

Argentina: Corleto; Borges, M Contepomi, F Contepomi, Agulla; Hernandez, Pichot (capt); Roncero, Ledesma, Scelzo, CI Fernandez Lobbe, Albacete, Ostiglia, JM Fernandez Lobbe, Longo Elia.
Replacements: Basualdo, Hasan, Kairelis, Leguizamon, Fernandez Miranda, Todeschini, Tiesi.

Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

Source: BBC Sport