Pumas mauled

France beats Argentina in Latin quarter

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Posted: Sunday October 24, 1999 06:36 PM

Emile Ntamack (left) and Philippe Bernat-Salles celebrate their victory over Argentina. AP

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNN/SI) -- Argentina put up a brave fight, but after going down 17-0 within the first 15 minutes to France, the Pumas never truly threatened eventually losing 47-26 at Dublin on Sunday.

The mainly amateur Argentine squad never gave up, but it was a fantastic performance by the French, highlighted by their opening play, which was in their traditional style of running and attacking rugby.

France was considered at the beginning of the tournament to be the weakest of the Five Nations' teams. It will face New Zealand in the semifinals next week Sunday at Twickenham.

France suffered its worst ever test defeat this year when the All Blacks beat them 57-4 in Wellington in June.

Winger Philippe Bernat-Salles and fullback Xavier Garbajosa got two tries apiece, and one each in the last five minutes, as France ran over the top of a gallant Argentinean team.

Argentina, marshaled brilliantly by scrumhalf Agustin Pichot who had one of the great individual performances of the tournament, was behind by just seven points with eight minutes to go before it finally succumbed after being unlucky not to get level.

French flyhalf Christophe Lamaison converted all five of France's tries and added four penalties for 22 points.

"We have some problems with our concentration and we put the pressure on ourselves too much," said French captain Raphael Ibanez.

"But this is a special team, in some ways a bizarre team yes, but we had one objective in the tournament and that was the semifinal and we are there."

The French reached the final in 1987 and the semifinal in 1995 where they were unlucky to lose to eventual champion South Africa before winning the playoff for third.

France started Sunday's match with the advantage of fresh legs after a week's rest and used them wisely, running the ball ferociously at an Argentinean team playing its third game in eight days.

It led 17-0 within 11 minutes of the start with a penalty from Lamaison on two minutes and brilliant tries from Bernat-Salles and Garbajosa.

"We were down by 17 points and then we fought our way back into it," said Argentina's coach Alex Wyllie, who was in charge for the last time before taking up a club job in Ireland.

"There's no doubt that in the end the three games in eight days told on us, but I'm personally very proud of what the players did."

The first try followed a bad knock on by Gonzalo Quesada that gave the French impetus. After the French tight five drew in Argentina's defense the ball was released wide and No. 8 Christophe Juillet floated up a pass for Garbajosa to run in the first try on eight minutes.

Lamaison's conversion made it 10-0 and Quesada missed his first chance to narrow the margin when he pushed an easy penalty attempt wide from in front of the posts.

France then crossed again with a try harking back to their brilliant running teams of a decade ago.

Argentina charged down a Lamaison drop out from the 22 but it flew to Abdel Benazzi who was able to get flanker Olivier Magne away on a long run down the right wing.

Magne held off slow moving Argentine fullback Ignacio Corletto for as long as possible before finding Garbajosa, who sent Bernat-Salles in for a sparkling try.

After the incredible effort Argentina put in to beat Ireland in the midweek playoff it would have come as no surprise if the French had simply crushed them after such a dominant start.

But Pichot, arguably his country's greatest player since Hugo Porta, lifted the South Americans back into contention with some inspirational play.

He went over for a try on 22 minutes. No.8 Gonzalo Longo peeled from the back of a 5-meter scrum and gave the ball to Pichot who scrambled over despite the attentions of two French defenders.

Quesada got the conversion and added a penalty four minutes later for 17-10 before another Argentine mistake allowed France further breathing space.

French center Emile Ntamack charged down a poor clearing kick from Argentine captain Lisandro Arbizu on his 22. The ball rebounded over Argentina's line and Ntamack got there first ahead of Corletto.

A Lamaison penalty pushed out the French lead to 27-10, a 17-point buffer for the second time in the match, before Argentina struck back again, first through a Quesada penalty and then a try from Arbizu.

The Argentine captain made up for the mistake which presented Ntamack with a try by giving the French center the slip and then diving under some weak cover by Garbajosa.

Argentina had two early chances to reduce France's 27-20 halftime lead after break but Quesada missed a speculative drop goal attempt and a 52-meter penalty before a Lamaison penalty made it 30-20.

Quesada replied with a penalty of his own to again cut the gap to a converted try and Argentina put everything into finding one.

Winger Diego Albanese, whose late score settled the playoff against Ireland, went close on 58 minutes but was nudged into touch on the left just before placing the ball over the tryline.

Argentina got a penalty and took a scrum near France's line but the favorites survived.

That, according to Pichot, was the turning point.

"It was a crucial moment," said Pichot. "We should have scored but the French were able to clear it and we never got back."

Quesada was replaced by Felipe Contepomi and he kicked a penalty on 68 minutes to narrow France's advantage.

Lamaison was again on target with a long range penalty before the French finally killed off Argentina's resistance with Bernat-Salles' second and a follow up from Garbajosa.

"I ran as I've never run in my life and I tackled as I've never tackled in my life today," said Ibanez. "Argentina was a very hard opponent."

France

Argentina

 

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.