Pumas maul Ireland to reach RWC semis
Print Edition
ARGENTINA scored two late tries to seal an emphatic 43-20 win over Ireland in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals yesterday and continue the Southern Hemisphere’s domination of the tournament.
Fresher after having the luxury of resting key players for their last pool match, the South Americans raced away to a 17-0 lead inside the first 13 minutes after Matias Moroni and Juan Imhoff scored tries, but they had to hold on grimly in the second half.
Ireland, decimated by injuries and suspensions, responded with tries from Luke Fitzgerald and Jordi Murphy to cut the margin to three points but it never got back on level terms at an electric Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Argentina flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez booted five penalties to keep the scoreboard kicking along and the Pumas sealed victory with tries by fullback Joaquin Tuculet and a second from Imhoff.
It was more heartbreak for Six Nations champion Ireland which was bidding to reach the World Cup semifinals for the first time after losing its five previous quarterfinals.
Semifinalists in 2007, the Pumas will play Australia or Scotland next weekend for a place in the final. New Zealand and South Africa will contest the other semi.
Meanwhile, the morning after the big night before, the All Blacks found themselves in familiar territory, heading to the RWC semifinals with everyone gushing about their latest performance.
New Zealand’s 62-13 thrashing of France in the quarterfinal in Cardiff not only assured the All Blacks of a trip to London for next weekend’s semis but also removed any doubt about their status as favorites to win the tournament.
The defending champions had been below their best in the pool phase but their nine-try romp over France proved what everyone had suspected all along — they were foxing.
The All Blacks have learnt the hard way that the trick to winning World Cups is to save you best for last and not take anything for granted.
New Zealand has made the semifinals in six of the seven previous World Cups, but only gone on to win the title twice, in 1987 and 2011, both on home soil.
On almost each occasion, it has been the overwhelming favorite to win, but the heavy burden of expectation has proved fatal before, and the New Zealand team management is wary about the pitfalls of complacency.
“All we have done is earn the right to go training on Monday,” the All Blacks coach Steve Hansen barked. “We haven’t won the thing, so we can’t get too excited. That would be pointless.”
Despite winning the first (1987) and last (2011) World Cups, New Zealand remains driven by its past failures.
It went 24 years between titles and no team faces more scrutiny than the All Blacks, whether they are heaped with lavish praise or reminded of their past failures.
Now, the All Blacks face South Africa, at Twickenham. Once again, they are in the familiar position as favorites but every bit wary of a Springboks team they know will be plotting their downfall.
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