The Rugby World Cup is getting closer, and the Argentine national team is finalizing the details to arrive in the best way at the event that will be played in France starting next September 8.
The farewell to the country’s squad occurred in a duel against South Africa at the Vélez Sarsfield stadium, which had a crowd in the stands. The clubs of Buenos Aires were noted, with the presence of young people who wore the shirt of the institution to which they belong.
People had great expectations for the participation of Los Pumas, who returned to Liniers after four years. Among the prominent personalities were Sergio Hernández, former coach of the Argentine basketball team, as well as the president of the Argentine Olympic Committee (COA), Mario Moccia.
The afternoon began with an acknowledgment to Santiago Gómez Cora, driver of the Pumas 7s squad, and to the president of the Argentine Union, Gabriel Travaglini, who received a plaque in the central circle of the playing field.
The match began with a strong blow received by Santiago Chocobates, who had to leave the field after two minutes. The intensity that the South Africans brought caused a confrontation to develop with many frictions.
The visitors took the lead with a penalty from Libbok, but Argentina reacted quickly with a try from Bertranou. The subsequent conversion of Emiliano Boffelli and his penalty, made Argentina go to halftime winning 10-3.
In the second half, after one minute, the South Africans equalized with Mapimpi’s score and Libbok’s conversion. And they immediately regained the advantage with Canan Moddie’s try and made it 15-10. Despite the penalty converted by Boffelli to narrow the gap, the Argentine national team had no tactical discipline in that strip, and defensive errors ended up costing them dearly.
Also, fly half Libbok improved his accuracy and scored three of four penalties, as well as a conversion, and that allowed his team to take a bigger lead. The final score was 24-13, leaving the feeling that Argentina could have performed better.
The match had a historic moment, as Agustín Creevy entered from the substitute bench, and reached the mark of 100 test-matches with the national team.
The next appointment of Los Pumas will be in Europe, against Spain, in the last friendly before the debut against England in the World Cup, on September 9. The public left a little disappointed with the level of the team, but with the illusion that in the next month they can correct their deficiencies.
2023-08-06 03:01:00
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