Like South Africa, the feats of 2007 were always going to be difficult to repeat for the Pumas, and sometimes one felt the burden of expectation weighing heavily on Argentina, especially from a distance. The ESPN coverage of “our boys” was merciless, and the Pumas had injury problems to deal with before the tournament even started – the absence of Juan Martín Hernández keenly felt throughout. Having said that, Argentina nicked a win against Scotland, almost convincingly beat England and scored a try against New Zealand, despite picking up key injuries in almost every match. They head home, defeated but with a lot of pride.
Best moment: the mazy run by Lucas González Amorocino to seal Argentina’s glorious 73rd minute try against Scotland which pretty much sent the Scots home, in a fantastic match that bubbled and bristled. The look of sheer despair on Dan Parks’ face as he realized that his last minute penalty hadn’t gone over summed up what had been achieved on that rainy night. Argentina’s 13-12 win was a joy to behold.
Worst moment: slumping to defeat against both England and New Zealand, the former probably more painful than the latter. England’s cruel snatching of the game from Argentine hearts was a bitter blow, and holding on to that win would have probably seen Argentina avoid the All Blacks and face France instead. However, the final 13-9 result flattered England and left the Pumas scrabbling for second place.
Highest points scorer: Felipe Contepomi, who kicked 26 of Argentina’s 100 points and played like a leader despite sustaining serious rib damage in the England game.
Best player: difficult. Contepomi for his leadership, Mario Ledesma for his commitment, González Amorocino for his cameo as a find for the future.
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