History was made at Estádio de Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires when for the first time ever Argentina won a series against France. They have shared series in the past but this won they won. The winning could not have been closer as it took a last-minute drop-goal by Gonzalo Quesada to win them the match 33-32.
Argentina had won a drab first Test 10-6. This one was not drab -- certainly not the action of injury-time. First Quesada put Argentina up 30-29. Then France's replacement fly-half Frédéric Michalak goaled and made it 32-30.
Back came the Pumas and Quesada was well short with his third failed drop-goal attempt. Pepito Elhorga cleared. The Pumas just won a shoddy line-out and then they threw everybody into a frantic attack on the French who held their line.
Then came the drama of the end when the light changed and everything seemed to go into slow motion as Quesada lined up for a drop-goal -- at an awkward angle and seeming to face the wrong way, but over it went.
The French raced up, kicked off quickly but the Argentinians kicked the ball into touch and the match into history.
Joy unbounded in Buenos Aires!
Each side scored two tries. In the end a drop-goal beat a conversion and won the match.
The first half was much better than either half of the first Test -- more structured and constructive. The second half had a scruffy bit but not much can compensate for that ending.
As in the first Test, the Pumas were the first to score. This time it took a minute longer for it to happen -- after two and a half minutes!
The half's scoring promised to go with kick-off. Argentina kicked off and scored first.
After the initial kick-about Argentina won a line-out and drove. The ball came back sweetly and Gonzalo Quesada gave to centre José Orengo who popped it up in the tackle to fullback -- Juan Martín Hernández, the glamourboy of Argentinian rugby.
Hernández easily beat a tottering Pepito Elhorga with a swerve and went over as Yannick Jauzion and Aurélien Rougerie tried to tackle him. Surprisingly the matter was refereed to the Television Match Official who took surprisingly long in awarding the try. Quesada converted, 7-0.
France kicked off and the Puma backs were penalised for being off-side. Yann Delaigue goaled from in front. Argentina kicked off and Sébastien Chabal, playing No.8, was penalised for using his hands in a tackle/ruck. Quesada goaled.
France kicked off, but the score did not come immediately. They forced a scrum in the middle of the Puma 22 and attacked right and left and right again. Then the penalty came and Delaigue made it 10-6.
Inevitably in this match, the Pumas scored next. Hernández countered well. The ball was chipped ahead. Elhorga made a rickety clearance, which Nicolás Fernández Miranda ran back from just inside the French half. Lisandro Arbizu got himself into a good position to break and fed fellow-centre José Orengo with a flat pass and the strong young player surged over for a try. Quesada missed the conversion, but it was 15-6 after 15 minutes.
France kicked off and should have scored, but Delaigue hit the upright from straight in front. That was his last act of significance as Damien Traille took over the kicking till Michalak replaced Delaigue. Traille's penalty goal was from about three metres inside the Argentinian half and he goaled it to keep France in touch at 15-9.
Now it was the Pumas' turn, though France had the first opportunity when they worked an overlap for flank Imanol Harinordoquy, but Hernán Senillosa mowed him down and in fact Argentina scored. They attacked with a will. Quesada missed a drop. They attacked again and Arbizu goaled a drop -- 18-9.
That meant that France would score next and they did for two bits of Pumas silliness. In the same bit of play prop Martín Scelzo hit -- in retaliation to be fair to him -- Fabien Galthié and was sent to the sin bin and fullback Hernández obstructed Elhorga late. From an awkward angle Michalak goaled. That made it 18-12 after two minutes of injury time.
There was still time for Argentina to kick off and score. They duly did so when France were penalised at a tackle and Quesada goaled from in front.
That made the half-time score 21-12.
France looked as if they would run away with it in the second half as they started working many short passes and hard bursts. They scored their first try in two hours of rugby against Argentina after 45 seconds of the second half. First big Yannick Jauzion broke clean through. Sébastien Labit carried it on. Back the ball came and Michalak going right swivelled a pass infield to Jauzion who burst over. The game was on at 21-19.
After young Hernández had hurt his leg and been replaced, Traille burst through and France went over in a heap. The Television Match Official could not decide on a try and it became a five-metre scrum to France. Scelzo was penalised at the scrum and Michalak lobbed the penalty over.
The Pumas kicked off, the touch judge reported David Auradou for obstruction and Quesada made it 24-22.
The pattern of scoring changed at this stage as the Pumas scored next -- again a penalty by Quesada -- 27-22 with 16 minutes left to play.
France attacked. Michalak hit the upright with a penalty and lock Rimas Álvarez carried over. From the five-metre scrum France did the 8-9-15 and 15 scored. In fact Elhorga went through with consummate ease and round to the posts. So France led by 29-27 with time exhausting itself.
Then came that frantic finish as the Pumas grabbed back the lead. Then France grabbed back the lead. Then -- for the last time -- the Pumas grabbed the lead -- and won!
Man of the match: It's just not easy as team-work ruled. Juan Martín Hernández was wonderful but was not around for long enough. Diego Albanese was brave and energetic. Gonzalo Quesada proved he could be as balanced as the next fly-half. Nicolás Fernández Miranda and Fabien Galthié both did well even when the ball was untidy. Damien Traille was a steadying influence, but for Planet Rugby it was the man who played with every bit of strength and energy he had and won that untidy ball to set up that historic drop -- indestructible veteran Rolando Martín.
Moment of the match: There was that sweet pass from Frédéric Michalak for Yannick Jauzion's try. There was Lisandro Arbizu's pass for José Orengo's try and Orengo's pop to Juan Martín Hernández. But there was no moment to equal that dropped goal, that historic dropped goal when the world stood still and Gonzalo Quesada won the match for the Pumas.
Villain of the match: Sadly it was Martín Scelzo. All right, he was hit first, but he retaliated. Any player who retaliates in this day of many watching eyes is silly. It deprived his side of his services for 10 minutes.
The Teams:
France: 1 Pieter De Villiers, 2 Yannick Bru, 3 Sylvain Marconnet, 4 David Auradou, 5 Jerome Thion, 6 Sebastien Chabal, 7 Imanol Harinordoquy, 8 Christian Labit, 9 Fabien Galthie (c), 10 Yann Delaigue, 11 Vincent Clerc, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 13 Damien Traille, 14 Aurelien Rougerie, 15 Pepito Elhorga
Reserves: Jean-Baptiste Rue, Frederic Michalak
Unused: Thomas Castaignede, Olivier Milloud, Lionel Nallet, Clement Poitreneaud, Elvis Vermeulen
Argentina: 1 Roberto Grau, 2 Federico Mendez, 3 Martin Scelzo, 4 Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, 5 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, 6 Rolando Martin, 7 Lucas Ostiglia, 8 Gonzalo Longo Elia, 9 Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, 10 Gonzalo Quesada, 11 Diego Albanese, 12 Lisandro Arbizu (c), 13 Jose Orengo, 14 Hernan Senillosa, 15 Juan Martin Hernandez
Reserves: Felipe Contepomi, Bernardo Stortoni
Unused: Matias Albina, Mario Ledesma Arocena, Santiago Phelan, Mauricio Reggiardo, Pedro Sporleder
Referee: Cole a.
Points Scorers:
France
Tries: Elhorga P. 1, Jauzion Y. 1
Conv: Michalak F. 2
Pen K.: Traille D. 1, Delaigue Y. 2, Michalak F. 3
Argentina
Tries: Hernandez J.M. 1, Orengo J.R. 1
Conv: Quesada G. 1
Pen K.: Quesada G. 5
Drop G.: Arbizu L. 1, Quesada G. 1
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