Present: Neto, Elisa, Kai and me.
Pre-match expectations: the Pool Stages so far have been a combination of total mis-matches and occasional gems. The gems, predictably, have been between teams playing at roughly the same level (see Ireland v Australia, South Africa v Wales and the US v Russia). Today’s match should be no exception. If Scotland win, England’s place in the quarter-finals is guaranteed and Argentina are heading home; if Argentina win, then Scotland have to beat England in next week’s match or they will be on a plane. In that respect, this is very much a decider, even though the final result won’t be known until after next weekend’s matches. As a result, I’m expecting a belter.
Predictions: Argentina to sneak it. Or Scotland. I want Argentina to win but it could easily go either way, although probably not by much.
Game: it’s 4:30 am and I haven’t slept properly. I really didn’t want to miss this match so I set several alarms, but text messages from other people during the night have woken me up so often that I’m not sure what time it is or where I am.
Half-time status: it’s tipping it down in Wellington and you can really tell from how the game is going. The two sides are very evenly matched, and there isn’t a point scored either way in the first 18 minutes, a Rugby World Cup record, I believe. Argentina take the lead through a Felipe Contepomi penalty, but Scotland grind on. Two more of Argentina’s talismans in prop Rodrigo Roncero and flanker Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe are injured in the first half, Fernández Lobbe at one point apparently refusing the advice of Argentina’s medical team to leave the field. Eventually he realises he can’t quite make it so hobbles off. The half ends with Scotland ahead by 6-3.
Full-time status: Neto turned up close to the end of the first half and stayed until long beyond the end of the second, although he passed out long before the excitement. Once again, no points were scored in the first fifteen minutes of the half, but the rain and wind was becoming increasingly prevalent, as the ball slipped out of hands and kicks went awry. With just over eight minutes left to play, Scotland had a 12-6 lead, but a great Contepomi pass led to substitute Lucas Amorosino leaving three Scottish defenders in his wake with some smart running to score a try, which Contepomi calmly converted. The final ten minutes see Scotland scrabbling for a the winning points, with Dan Parks seeing a drop goal go just wide at the death, and Argentina hang on to claim a famous 13-12 victory.
Man of the Match: either Contepomi or Amorosino; the latter was the star of last week’s match against Romani and had an instant impact here. Probably Contepomi though for keeping his team together and grounded in terrible conditions.
Food: cheese and salami with biscuits. Captain Morgan and Coke.
Conversation keywords: for a large part at the beginning and end there was none. The middle was spent cursing New Zealand for its time zones and talking about Sugar.
Comments: Kai was the only Argentine-born native in the room.
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