South Africa vs Argentina preview: What time does it start, where can I watch the Bronze Final and what channel is it on?

A look ahead to the Bronze Final at The Olympic Stadium

Bryan Habana wing South Africa (Getty Images)

The final rugby game to be played at the Olympic Stadium will host both South Africa and Argentina in their second third-place game. Both teams are playing for pride and the right to call themselves the third best team in the world.

It’s a big game for…

Victor Matfield: One of the oldest men to grace the field in a World Cup, Matfield is playing his last game in the green of South Africa before he pulls on the green of Northampton. Leading the squad one last time in front of a roaring crowd will give him some emotion which the 2007 World Cup winning captain will feel one last time.

Teams...

South Africa: Willie le Roux; JP Pietersen, Jessie Kriel, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana; Handre Pollard, Ruan Pienaar; Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Victor Matfield; Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Duane Vermuelen.

Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Trevour Nyakane, Jannie Du Plessis, Lodewyk De Jager, Willem Alberts, Rudy Paige, Patrick Lambie, Jan Serfontein.

Argentina: Lucas Amorosino; Santiago Cordero, Matías Moroni, Jerónimo De la Fuente, Horacio Agulla; Nicolas Sanchez, Tomas Cubelli; Juan Figallo, Julian Montoya, Ramiro Herrera; Matias Alemanno, Tomas Lavanini; Javier Ortega Desio, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Juan Manuel Leguizamon.

Replacements: Lucas Noguera Paz, Juan Pablo Orlandi, Santiago Garcia Botta, Guido Petti, Facundo Isa, Martin Landajo, Santiago González Iglesias, Juan Pablo Socino.

Best stats…

It’s the bronze final, so let’s enjoy some of the stats of the tournament for these two sides:

15: the number of tries Bryan Habana has scored in the World Cup History. One more would beat Jonah Lomu’s record.

88: the number of carries Schalk Burger has made in the World Cup.

454: the most metres made by one player, and this was made by Santiago Cordero of Argentina.

21: Argentina need 21 points to become the 8th team to score 1000 points in the World Cup history.

Remember when…

Argentina beat the Springboks? In Durban this year, Argentina made the shock of the Rugby Championship by defeating South Africa on their home soil. In doing so, the Pumas earned their first win against the South Africans and secured third place in the Championship. A hat-trick by Juan Imoff set the standard for the game in a beautiful display by the Pumas.

Player to watch…

Santiago Cordero: Aside from scoring a hat-trick against the Springboks in Durban, Cordero has been a real shining light throughout the tournament. Argentina have been often described as a big pack and little imagination in the backs. Those times are gone, and Cordero is one of the shining lights. His youth is a blessing for the Pumas and he will get better as time goes on.

Past three-meetings…

Argentina 12 – South Africa 26 (Habana, Mvovo) Rugby World Cup warm up match, August 2015

South Africa 25 (de Jager, le Roux, Habana) – Argentina 37 (Bosch, Imoff (3)) Rugby Championship August 2015.

Argentina 31 (Montero, Cubelli, Tuculet) – South Africa 33 (Habana, Hendricks, Coetzee) Rugby Championship, August 2014

Road to the Bronze Final

South Africa: LWWWWL

Argentina: LWWWWL

Vital information…

Kick-off: 20.00 Friday 30th October.

TV: Live on ITV, highlights on ITV