The Argentinians did more with their bulk than with their brains in battering Namibia 67-14 at the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford in Namibia's first World Cup match, Argentina's second. Argentina got all they wanted out of the match in terms of points -- a five-point maximum. The Pumas scored 10 tries to two.
The Pumas' victory started with their forwards and pretty well remained with them as they mauled from line-outs and shoved from scrums. From scrums they got two pushover tries and two penalty tries. Their first try came from a line-out as did their third, even though the inside centre scored it. Martín Gaitan's second try came after he had broken well, but also involved close-quarter bashing. His third try came from a close-quarter dabbed kick by Gonzalo Quesada.
It all looked like an Argentinian return to their basics of forward power. Apart from the pressure they put on the Namibians at scrum-time, the Pumas won three of them by shoving their opponents off the ball and a fourth by wheeling. Shoving just before the put-in helped their cause. The brawn of their pack was the Pumas' Eldorado.
The Pumas' line-out worked this time with Federico Méndez throwing in. They won all 12 of their own throws and plundered four from the Namibians.
The Namibians were outclassed from the start, but not humiliated. They stood too proud for humiliation. They did some things neatly, but mostly on the back foot. They were best when they were able to tap a penalty and run.That said they delighted the sympathetic crowd with two tries.
At half-time the Pumas led 27-7 and already had their bonus point, but their tries were anything but scintillating as they used their mastodon pack to subdue and score.
Their first try came when they mauled a line-out and sent Méndez plodding over. Their second try came when they shoved a five-metre scrum over and No.8 Pablo Bouza scored. The third try was scored by the backs but really it belonged to the forwards who mauled a five-metre line-out and gave their backs a few steps to finish it off through a flicked dummy and pass in the half-gap by Gonzalo Quesada for a try by centre Juan Fernández Miranda. The fourth try was a penalty try when they shoved a five-metre scrum at the Namibian goalline. The scrum fell apart and a penalty try was awarded.
The most entertaining try of the half came from Namibia's only foray into the Puma 22. They went through phases, attacked directly and big outside centre Du Preez Grobler danced and then powered over for a popular try just before the half-time break.
In the second half the Pumas' panzer pack rolled the team to victory. In that half, too, Quesada with his gumshield tucked under his garter found his range and converted all but the last try.
In the half Gaitan got three, one when the Pumas recovered a harmless-looking kick, one after he had made the running and then finished off some cute passing at close quarters and the third off Quesada's dab. Nicolás Fernández Miranda got his after Felipe Contepomi tapped a penalty and ran, giving the scrum-half a clear run the line. Longo's second try, at a pushover scrum, seemed to have been preceded by as knock-on.
As in the first half the Namibian try came from many phases.
Man of the match: Martín Gaitan was the best individual on the Puma side while Hakkies Hüsselman at the heart of every Namibian effort and brave No.8 Sean Furter were the best of the Namibians whose loose forwards actually outperformed the Pumas' trio who were playing in luxury. But the Man of the match was a collective beast of the Pampas -- the Puma tight five who dominated the match from start to finish. They steam-rollered over the Namibian pack which had some could names -- on paper.
Moment of the match: It was all too bash-bash for thrill and it is easy to give Hakkies Hüsselman a sympathy vote for his try. But really, it belongs to that splendidly controlled dab by Gonzalo Quesada that Martín Gaitan dived onto for the last score of the match.
Villain of the match: Nobody at all. There was not even a silly look.
The Teams:
Argentina: 1 Mauricio Reggiardo, 2 Federico Mendez, 3 Martin Scelzo, 4 Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, 5 Pedro Sporleder, 6 Martin Durand, 7 Lucas Ostiglia, 8 Pablo Bouza, 9 Nicolas Fernandez Miranda (c), 10 Gonzalo Quesada, 11 Diego Albanese, 12 Juan Fernandez Miranda, 13 Martin Gaitan, 14 Hernan Senillosa, 15 Juan Martin Hernandez
Reserves: Felipe Contepomi, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Mario Ledesma Arocena, Rodrigo Roncero
Unused: Patricio Albacete, Ignacio Corleto, Agustin Pichot
Namibia: 1 Neil Du Toit, 2 J.M. Meyer, 3 Kees Lensing, 4 Eben Isaacs, 5 Heino Senekal, 6 Herman Lintvelt, 7 Schalk Van Der Merwe, 8 Sean Furter (c), 9 Hakkies Husselman, 10 Emile Wessels, 11 Melrick Afrika, 12 Du Preez Grobler, 13 Corne Powell, 14 Deon Mouton, 15 Jurie Booysen
Reserves: Andries Blaauw, Ronaldo Pedro, Niel Swanepoel, Vincent Dreyer, Wolfie Duvenhage, Jurgens Van Lill
Unused: Cor Van Tonder
Attendance: 17887
Referee: Williams n.
Points Scorers:
Argentina
Tries: Gaitan M. 3, Fernandez Miranda J. 1, Fernandez Miranda N. 1, Mendez F.E. 1, Bouza P. 2, Penalty try 2
Conv: Quesada G. 7
Pen K.: Quesada G. 1
Namibia
Tries: Grobler Du P. 1, Husselman D. 1
Conv: Wessels E. 2
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