England v Argentina on Friday night for the rugby union World Cup third place play-off? Such are the twists and turns of tournament life.
The teams met for their Group D opening match on 9 September in Marseille, a day after hosts France beat New Zealand at the Stade de France in the first game at the 2023 World Cup.
Partisan multitudes and a plethora of pundits believed those two titans would meet again in the final. Few, though, would have forecast England and Argentina to be vying for third and fourth after seven weeks of competition.
"For us, for everything we did and for the country, to be able to win bronze is to finish as high as we can," said Argentina coach Michael Cheika on the eve of the game at the Stade de France.
"It's also the experience for everyone in the group, for the future and the legacy of the most experienced players.
"Finishing as high as we can was always the goal," the 56-year-old Australian added.
A victory would equal Argentina's 2007 performance at the event and also help to alleviate the trauma of the 44-6 defeat to New Zealand in the semi-final on 20 October.
Scars
England too have fresh scars. Last Saturday, they led South Africa until Handré Pollard's 77th minute converted penalty took the defending champions into a 16-15 lead. England could not respond with the winning points in their final drive.
"As a player when you have had a defeat, especially the nature of Saturday night, if you could run out there and play again you would," said England boss Steve Borthwick.
"It's the same as a coach," he added. "I am excited about the development of the team, how they have dealt with tough situations."
The former England international announced eight changes to the side that started the semi-final against South Africa. Cheika was more conservative with three.
"England, beyond the changes, are a very structured team," said Argentina forward Guido Petti who came on as a second-half substitute in the clash between the two sides in Marseille.
"They try to play the same way, they feel comfortable doing that as they are strong there. I think it will be very similar to the first game in terms of their kicking game and set pieces, where they have become strong," he added.
On Saturday night at the Stade de France, New Zealand face South Africa in the showdown for the Webb Ellis trophy - named after the inventor of the game.
Both sides will be attempting to win the cup for a record fourth time.
