Sanchez restores Argentina's pride
MATCH REPORT: Eliminated Argentina restored some pride with a 47-17 win against the United States at the World Cup.
Flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez showed Los Pumas what they had been missing with a masterful first-half performance Wednesday.
*As if happened: Argentina v USA
Sanchez was controversially left out of the matchday 23 for the crunch match against England last Saturday, which Argentina lost 10-39, resulting in their first exit at the pool stages since 2003.
But the Stade Francais playmaker ran the show against the United States in Kumagaya, getting Argentina off the mark after a cagey first 20 minutes by outpacing US fullback Mike Te’o to the line.
Sanchez was also instrumental in the second try, a carefully weighted chip over the American backs resulting in a cruel bounce that deceived Te’o and allowed Puma fullback Joaquin Tuculet to dot down.
Tuculet grabbed the third as well, again made by Sanchez who pulled in several defenders, leaving the US short of numbers out wide and giving the fullback a one-on-one that he took with ease.
On the stroke of half-time, the Eagles had a score of their own, a nicely weighted kick by flyhalf AJ MacGinty chased over the goal line by captain Blaine Scully, who celebrated by spiking the ball down American-football style.
But the more-fancied Pumas extended their advantage just four minutes into the second half, a mazy run by Bautista Delguy from behind his own try-line setting up position for centre Juan Cruz Mallia to crash over under the posts for the bonus point.
With nothing to lose, Argentina were playing a highly entertaining brand of free-flowing rugby and slicing through American defences seemingly at will. Mallia was through again under the posts eight minutes into the second half.
On the other hand, the United States were being let down by their set-piece, losing ball at two line-outs in a row, resulting in the sixth Argentina try from Jeronimo De La Fuente, his first in 25 Tests.
The USA scored two consolation tries by Paul Lasike and an injury-time effort by Scully but never looked like troubling the Pumas, who have never lost to the Eagles in their eight-match history.
Replacement Gonzalo Bertranou put the icing on the Argentina cake with a seventh score after the Pumas had again carved up a defensively questionable US midfield.
The match ended a disappointing World Cup for the Pumas, who could consider themselves unlucky to suffer a last-minute 23-21 defeat to France in their first match but were let down by indiscipline against England, losing a man to a red card.
As for the United States, they will be targeting their one “winnable” match in Pool C as they take on Tonga on Sunday in an attempt to avoid the wooden spoon from the “group of death.”
The scorers:
For Argentina:
Tries: Sanchez, Tuculet 2, Mallia 2, De La Fuente, Bertranou
Cons: Sanchez 5, Urdapilleta
For USA:
Tries: Lasike, Scully 2
Con: MacGinty
Teams:
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Juan Cruz Mallia, 12 Jeronimo de La Fuente, 11 Santiago Carreras, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Enrique Pieretto Heiland, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Tomas Lezana, 21 Gonzalo Martin Bertranou, 22 Benjamin Urdapilleta, 23 Matías Moroni.
United States: 15 Mike Te’o, 14 Blaine Scully (captain), 13 Bryce Campbell, 12 Paul Lasike, 11 Marcel Brache, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Ruben de Haas, 8 Cam Dolan, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 6 Tony Lamborn, 5 Greg Peterson, 4 Nate Brakeley, 3 Titi Lamositele, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 1 Eric Fry.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Fawsitt, 17 Olive Kilifi, 18 Paul Mullen, 19 Ben Landry, 20 Ben Pinkelman, 21 Nate Augspurger, 22 Will Hooley, 23 Martin Iosefo.
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
