On this Saturday, two pivotal encounters offer the first tickets to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals.

With the group stage of the Rugby World Cup now wrapped up, the spotlight turns to the knockout stage. The first set of quarter-finals will be held on Saturday, October 14, featuring two highly anticipated matches. Wales is set to take on Argentina in a match that promises to be full of suspense. Meanwhile, Ireland, undefeated in the tournament so far, faces off against New Zealand, the second-placed team in Group A behind France. The winners of these matches will meet at the Stade de France on Friday, October 20, in the first semi-final of the World Cup.

Wales vs. Argentina (France 2 and france.tv)
An encounter filled with uncertainty awaits as two closely-matched teams square off at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille. It's a clash between Wales, who topped Group C, and Argentina, the runners-up in Group D. Wales left a strong impression during the group stage, remaining unbeaten and notably securing a convincing victory over Australia (40-6). Argentina's Pumas, on the other hand, found their stride after an initial defeat to England (10-27), ultimately earning their quarter-final spot with a win over Japan (39-27) in a match reminiscent of a round of 16.

Argentina will be without third-row forward Pablo Matera, who is sidelined with a "grade 3 tear to the right hamstring," as announced by the South American team on its social media channels. Meanwhile, Wales welcomes back Liam Williams, who was previously sidelined due to an injury sustained in the match against Georgia. However, Gareth Anscombe, injured during the warm-up against Georgia, and third-row Taulupe Faletau, who is ruled out for the remainder of the tournament due to a broken arm sustained against Georgia, will not feature in the match.

Ireland vs. New Zealand (TF1)
The marquee matchup of the day sees Ireland, the world's top-ranked rugby nation, taking on the All Blacks at the Stade de France. The Irish XV delivered a perfect campaign during the group stage, securing victories in all four of their matches, including a significant win against the reigning South African world champions. New Zealand, on the other hand, had a rocky start to their campaign with a defeat against the French XV (27-13) but managed to gain momentum as the tournament progressed, leading them to the quarter-finals.

Despite a few announced withdrawals, Irish wingers Mack Hansen and James Lowe will be available to take on the All Blacks. Irish coach Andy Farrell has opted for the same starting lineup as the one that faced Scotland, with a standard team taking the field. On the bench, there are two changes, with the relatively inexperienced Jimmy O'Brien (seven caps) and second-row Joe McCarthy making appearances.

Speaking about Jimmy O'Brien's versatility, Farrell shared at a press conference, "He's incredibly adept at playing multiple positions." Joe McCarthy has been called up to the squad to cover for the injured James Ryan, who suffered a hand injury. For the All Blacks, Leicester Fainga'anuku starts on the left wing, filling in for the injured Mark Telea, and Sam Cane leads New Zealand as the team's captain.

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