Frantic French Survive Pumas Scare in Rugby World Cup Nail-Biter Argentina Will Now Likely Need to Beat England to Avoid an Early Exit
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Established 1961 25 Sports Sunday, September 22, 2019 Frantic French survive Pumas scare in Rugby World Cup nail-biter Argentina will now likely need to beat England to avoid an early exit TOKYO: France uncorked some champagne rugby who showed great feet to beat two Argentina but almost lost the plot and had to survive a last- defenders and score after good work from fellow gasp penalty before pipping Argentina 23-21 in centre Virimi Vakatawa. The French extended their their World Cup opener yesterday. Fly-half Romain advantage with another sumptuous try four minutes Ntamack paced a mixed French performance with later when flying winger Damian Penaud caused pan- 10 points and the three-time finalists were indebted ic in Argentina’s defence before flipping the ball to to a late Camille Lopez drop goal as they won a Antoine Dupont to crash over. pulsating Pool C clash in Tokyo, leaving the Pumas staring into the abyss in the tournament’s so-called CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE ‘group of death’. Ntamack added a pair of penalties that sent Les Argentina, who will now likely need to beat Bleus into half-time leading 20-3 and seemingly in England to avoid an early exit, almost pulled off an control of a bruising game played in a carnival astonishing comeback after being sent into battle by atmosphere. Many travelling fans sported colourful an emotional message of support from football leg- national garb, including a noisy group of French sup- end Diego Maradona. porters dressed as Gallic roosters. Trailing by 17 points at half-time, they fell just But Argentina were all business and came out fir- short after a last-minute penalty from Emiliano ing in the second half as Petti Pagadizabal marked his Boffelli sailed just wide, allowing France to claim a 50th cap by trundling over from a driving lineout. crucial victory. “I thought the game was finished, I Another driving maul allowed Julian Montoya to dive thought we’d lost the game,” admitted France captain over before a Benjamin Urdapilleta penalty on the Guilhem Guirado, referring to the late penalty hour-mark made it a two-point game. Australian referee Angus Gardner awarded to Urdapilleta stroked another three-pointer to give Argentina. Argentina the lead with 12 minutes to play, complet- “But I am very, very proud of my boys. It was a ing a remarkable turnaround. But Lopez dragged tough game tonight but we are very happy to start France back in front with a superb drop goal in his the competition with a win.” A cagey opening was first involvement after coming on. punctuated by some bone-shuddering tackles from Ntamack — who described the game as “stress- both sides, Argentine fly-half Nicolas Sanchez sent ful” — missed a late penalty before Boffelli hooked sprawling by prop Jefferson Poirot in a monster his long-range effort wide to spare France’s blush- TOKYO: Argentina’s fly-half Benjamin Urdapilleta (C) is tackled during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup collision. es in an ill-tempered affair which boiled over after Pool C match between France and Argentina at the Tokyo Stadium in Tokyo yesterday. —AFP Lock Guido Petti Pagadizabal was a one-man the final whistle as fighting broke out between the wrecking crew for the Pumas in the early skirmishes players. didn’t want to have any regrets — now I just want to ed many opportunities, scored, missed two points, and his bulldozing run led to a 15th-minute penalty “You dream of winning with a last-minute kick,” forget it.” Argentina head coach Mario Ledesma missed three points in the first half — it comes down that Sanchez slotted over to put the 2015 semi-final- said a crestfallen Boffelli. “We’d killed ourselves for accused Gardner of favouring France with his deci- to that.” French coach Jacques Brunel shrugged: “We ists on the board first. 80 minutes but we got that one opportunity. sions. “It’s a shame to be refereed like a small will definitely have to improve if we want to go But France hit back quickly through Gael Fickou, Obviously a lot of things went through my mind and I nation,” he fumed, left ruing fine margins. “We creat- deeper into the tournament.” —AFP Probably didn’t expect to be as far Wallabies behind!” he admitted. Australia almost scored from the opening kick-off when come from Reece Hodge charged down an ensuing clearance kick, only for Fiji to scramble Italy’s Parisse the ball clear. behind to After Australia-born Fiji fly-half Ben Volavola knocked over an early penal- prepares for beat Fiji ty, a box-kick from Wallabies scrum- half Nic White allowed Fiji to counter- historic fifth attack. Fiji right wing Josua Tuisova SAPPORO: Australia hooker Tolu Latu bounced off Hodge and burst through scored two tries in five minutes as the Christian Lealiifano’s tackle before World Cup Wallabies came from nine points down releasing flanker Peceli Yato for a try OSAKA: When Italy’s Sergio Parisse runs out in the second half to beat Fiji 39-21 and in the right corner. against Namibia today, he will join a very escape a huge upset at the Rugby Australia eventually made their set- select band to have played five Rugby World World Cup yesterday. piece play count in the lead-up to an Fiji haven’t beaten Australia for 65 18th-minute try for Hooper, who drove Cups and the talismanic number eight is hop- years — a run of 17 winless games over after the Wallabies pushed Fiji off ing 2019 will be the best yet. against the two-time world champions their own scrum. Fiji suffered a set- SAPPORO: Australia’s hooker Silatolu Latu is tackled during the Japan 2019 When he first pulled on the Italy shirt, as an — whose fans dominated the crowd of back when Yato went off with concus- Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Australia and Fiji at the Sapporo Dome in 18-year-old against New Zealand in 2002, he 36,482 at the indoor Sapporo Dome. sion in the 26th minute after what Sapporo yesterday. — AFP did not yet have the bald head that makes him But that did not stop a physical team appeared to be an illegal no-arms immediately recognisable on the field but featuring several of Fiji’s Olympic tackle by Hodge. Captain Dominiko utes after the break. After a poor bon-copy score by Latu. Matt coach Conor O’Shea is in no doubt as to Sevens gold medallists going ahead 21- Waqaniburotu said they had asked Australia pass sailed over Lealiifano’s Toomua, Australia’s third goalkicker of Parisse’s place in the history of Italian rugby. 12 against the 2015 runners-up four New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe to shoulder, Fiji centre Waisea the match, missed the conversion. “It is difficult to put into words what Sergio minutes after half-time. Australia, rattled refer the incident to television match Nayacalevu gathered it up and ran in But Kerevi put the result beyond brings to the team on and off the pitch,” the by Fiji’s powerful running, eventually official Rowan Kitt but no action was from nearly half-way before flamboy- doubt in the 68th minute after the made their forward dominance count Irishman told reporters ahead of the Namibia taken despite World Rugby promising antly diving between the posts. Wallaby pack drew in Fiji’s forwards clash. thanks to unlikely try hero Latu’s double a crackdown on head-high challenges. Hodge’s penalty cut Fiji’s lead to 21- with Toomua kicking the conversion. “The most important thing is his ability and following the match-changing entry of Two Volavola penalties extended 15 and it was no surprise when Cheika Australia completed their win with a scrum-half Will Genia. Fiji’s lead to 14-7. Australia’s forwards brought veteran scrum-half Genia off setpiece move off a line-out that end- he is probably the best Italian rugby player of Tries from Fiji-born backs Samu then earned a penalty that led to an the bench in a bid to regain control. ed with Koroibete beating his man for all time,” added O’Shea. Most observers Kerevi and Marika Koroibete then attacking line-out and, after the ball Playing the ball close from a succes- a well-worked try. believe that Parisse would easily earn a place sealed Australia’s comeback win. was worked across field, Hodge went sion of line-outs, Latu eventually went Concussion rules mean Fiji will be in more celebrated teams than Italy, for whom Wallaby coach Michael Cheika said he over for a 36th-minute try in the right over from a maul for a 57th-minute try without Yato for their next match he has won a staggering 140 caps, including a was “not going to complain at all” about corner but Lealiifano could not nail the to cut the deficit to one point. against Uruguay in Kamaishi on record 66 in the Six Nations. the result against the “dangerous” Fiji. conversion. Hodge missed the conversion but Wednesday, with Australia playing fel- His 141st cap will put him equal with Irish “We know them very well, their play- Fiji led by two points at half-time Australia finally went ahead in the low Pool D favourites Wales in Tokyo a legend Brian O’Driscoll and behind only All ers and that’s what we expected. and they were nine in front four min- 62nd minute through an almost car- week today. —AFP Black flanker Richie McCaw, the last man to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.