2023-10-20 15:00:11
Argentina winger and scorer Emiliano Boffelli celebrates with his teammates the victory against Wales on October 14, 2023 in Marseille. PAVEL GOLOVKIN / AP
At the final whistle of Argentina’s first match in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, on September 9 against England, who could have imagined that the Pumas would reach the final four of the competition? However, Friday October 20, at 9 p.m., at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis), the South Americans face New Zealand for a place in the final.
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The inaugural performance of the Argentine XV, more than a month ago, at the Stade-Vélodrome in Marseille, had reached heights of mediocrity. In numerical superiority for almost the entire match against an English team in dire straits, the Pumas proved incapable of foiling their opponents’ tactical trap, made up of fierce defense and intensive use of play. at the foot. Add to that an incredible clumsiness (sixteen hand faults) and an astonishing indiscipline (fourteen penalties) and you had the ingredients of one of the least exciting matches of the World Cup, ending with a large victory for the XV de la Rose (27- 10).
Where had the Argentines gone who had only failed by a small point to South Africa (22-21), and beaten Australia during the Rugby Championship (34-31), a few weeks earlier? A priori not on the Marseille lawn. “We hardly played at all. The game was constantly interrupted and, when we played, we lacked control. The opponent dictated the pace, and did it very well. They cornered us”observed coach Michael Cheika severely after the game. “It was a first World Cup match for the team and for many players”for his part, tried to justify his deputy, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.
“The team has grown since the first match”
After this setback, the team “questioned herself”, in the words of forwards coach Andres Bordoy. And she learned from her failure. “When you lose this kind of match, you learn more than you think, especially at the start of the Rugby World Cup”, noted Captain Julian Montoya. Above all, the Argentinians found themselves immediately against the wall: a second rout in the group stage was synonymous with elimination. Friday evening, against the All Blacks, they will therefore play more or less their fifth knockout match. As the hooker summed up: after the defeat against the XV de la Rose, “we played one final per week”.
And it succeeded for them, in particular thanks to their presence in an affordable group and part of the table. By winning thirteen days later against Samoa (19-10), the Pumas not only preserved their hopes in this World Cup, but they also reassured themselves on the basics of the game. “Against England, we didn’t know what to do. There it was much better”rejoiced after the meeting Julian Montoya. “We got off the bus and out of the locker room today”joked – only half – Michael Cheika.
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