Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Steadily improving from their England debacle, Argentina overcame the surprise tactics of feisty Japan to book their place in the last eight of the Rugby World Cup on Sunday, coach Michael Cheika said.
Argentina won the try count 5-3 in a match they always led after centre Santiago Chocobares went over inside the first minute.
But Japan hit back every time the Pumas threatened to run away with the score until man-of-the-match Mateo Carreras completed a hat-trick of tries in the 68th minute and Argentina increased their winning margin in the closing minutes.
Cheika echoed the gratitude of the squad for the massive support of fans following the team in France despite Argentina’s economic woes and was pleased to get another win under his belt.
The Australian, a World Cup finalist in charge of the Wallabies in England in 2015, said he tends not to look at opponents and is more concerned with his own team’s game but had a word about Warren Gatland’s Wales team, who the Pumas face next.
Argentina will almost certainly be without former captain Pablo Matera against the Welsh after he came off midway through the first half with a hamstring injury. “It doesn’t look good,” Cheika said.
The Pumas had been in better form than England before their opening pool clash a month ago but played poorly against 14 men after flanker Tom Curry was red carded and have been on a run of matches they needed to win to hold onto their place in the tournament.’
Argentine media have widely criticised the form of halfbacks Gonzalo Bertranou and Santiago Carreras that Cheika has fielded from the start in all the Pumas’ matches apart from the one with Chile, saying Lautaro Bazan Velez and Nicolas Sanchez are better playmakers.
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