Argentina’s Nicolás Sánchez scores a try against Galés in Marseille.BENOIT TESSIER (Portal)
Wales hope for a comeback as Nicolás Sánchez sees Sam Costelow’s pass behind the back before the fly-half prepares his hands. The leader of the old guard uses his 10 minutes for the deadly robbery and runs under the sticks towards the test of luck. After a dismal first half, Argentina’s emotional rugby, marked by ups and downs, secured its ticket to the World Cup semi-final in Marseille, the third in its history (there has never been a final), where it faces Nueva Zealand, which defeated Ireland (24-28). The Pumas rebelled against their victim poster due to an unpredictable group stage and roared in time at the Vélodrome (17-29).
Wales came out in a flash and Emiliano Boffelli had to erase the first shot, a follow-up from Louis Rees-Zammit, the great Red goalscorer, which he buried next to the lime. When the game was over, Argentina confidently went onto the opponent’s field and let their striker take action for the first time, a series of quick attacks that earned the defense their first penalty for offside. A cheap kick to take the lead, the perfect medicine for a team in doubt. But Boffelli couldn’t find the sticks.
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The solid Welsh defense was already set up and gained meters even without the ball. And along came the unforced errors, the Albiceleste trend. His coach, Michael Cheika, replaced Gonzalo Bertranou as the scrum-half was unable to put pressure on his striker, but retained Santiago Carreras as match manager; the Argentine flyhalf who plays as a full-back or winger for his club Gloucester. It didn’t start well getting rid of a ball lost on the wing. Neither did Boffelli, who couldn’t intercept a pass that was too low. The ensuing melee triggered the first Welsh wave, three shots at the same member. After the tackle, George North quickly passed the ball to Gareth Davies to collect and evade Boffelli with a convenient pass for Dan Biggar. The Old Guard Essay.
The high tempo left victims such as the Welsh numbers – many took off their shirts – a responsibility that the main referee, South African Jaco Peyper, had to delegate to England’s Karl Dickson due to injury. An unfortunate end for the referee who officiated a Welsh game four years after a controversial photo in which he posed with his fans and simulated the elbow of an expelled Frenchman, paving his way to the semi-finals. The Pumas gave reasons for testing the new whistle because their defense was missing tackles and needed to collect figures. A cascade of fouls that Wales did not take advantage of, who only exchanged one between the posts and saw their rival get up from the couch thanks to Carreras – less an organizer and more a striker – and went into the goal with two shots before the break (10-6 ).
Psychological inertia
A brief result for the Welsh superiority, which the Pumas reduced to a minimum after another simple kick, the reward for the efforts of Isa or Kremer, who advanced with a defender at the front. Disorder had given way to passion: their defense was now the one that could win the tackles and Boffelli completed the improbable comeback with a rocket from his own field: 55 meters. Unforced errors gave way to winning shots.
For better or worse, Argentina dictated. At best, this psychological inertia gave way. Firstly, with an error in clearing the oval when they hit the Welsh field; then with a defensive weakness that was exploited by Tomos Williams, the scrum-half, who, instead of feeding his forwards, took the ball and entered like an ambassador through the middle of the American defense to rehearse and pass the command baton back to his team. .
Accustomed to failure, the Argentinians maintained their striker formula thanks to their new substitutes, testing the Welsh’s defensive prowess and their precise unassisted tackling. After endless attacks, a long sequence in which the Pumas did not want to be satisfied with three points, Joel Sclavy threw his 135 kilos over the goal area and jubilantly gave his team back the lead. And focused. Because the lead was tenuous and Wales had the victory on a tackle by Rio Dyer, who failed to release the ball in time to convert his clear superiority into a simple try route and allow Matías Morini to make a saving tackle on Rees-Zammit. Because passion also defends.
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