The Metropolitan, a stadium where victories are discussed until the last breath, attended this Saturday the value of a certain defeat. Argentina, the rival with the most pedigree in Spanish-American rugby so far this century –since the only World Cup adventure, in 1999–, honored its place in the world elite and overwhelmed the Lions (3-62) in their last match preparation for the World Cup that will uncork on September 9 in Marseille against England. Spain, disqualified from the appointment in France for the falsification of the passport of the South African Gavin Van den Berg, recovered its international credibility to a great extent.
The Argentine coach, Michael Cheika, warned in the preview that there are no friendlies in international rugby. The meeting was a vindication of his old guard, represented by Nicolás Sánchez, the 34-year-old fly half who led the Pumas to fourth place in the 2015 World Cup. Relegated to substitution by Santiago Carreras, he took advantage of what may be one of his last titles with the selection to dominate the tempo, open the field with his game at the foot and exhibit his precision between sticks. Thus he opened the scoring, scoring a focused penalty shot.
Spain had a substantial challenge against number seven in the world ranking, especially up front. The size of the Argentine first line dominated the scene from the start, forcing their rivals to accumulate troops in tackles, thus exposing the opposing flank. There was Sánchez to exchange the superiority with a kick to the side that Juan Cruz Mallía hunted towards the first test. Gonzalo Vinuesa intercepted another diabolic projectile shortly before, but this time his defense had no numbers.
When the big Argentines add precision to their repertoire they are unstoppable. The proof is that there was no scrum, the set that restarts the game after a forward pass or a hand error, until minute 38. Spain defended itself with fouls because its offside line was broken, but it could not avoid stampedes like the 144 kilos of Joel Sclavi, the ‘pilier’ who has gone from Gernika to Stade Rochelais, double European champion.
Argentina was scoring at a point per minute and Spain was falling apart at the speed of Mateo Carreras, who overcame obstacles with prodigious speed heading into the third trial. Spain did not set foot in the rival’s 22nd zone until minute 19 and it was outnumbered –due to repeated fouls– when it had its sweet moment in a kick from Vinuesa that almost caught him resigning from the last Albiceleste curtain. There was no rehearsal, so Spain decided to remove the zero from their marker with a kick to the sticks. A precarious consolation because Tomás Cubelli extended the lead before the break (3-31) slipping through the platform of forwards. Another of the relegated veterans left his mark.
Spain took advantage of the event to celebrate the centenary of its rugby, with nods to the past as a tribute to those who have worn its shirt. And to the future, to the under-20 team that has managed to sneak into the elite of the category, leaving World Cup countries like Uruguay or Scotland behind. The president of the Spanish Rugby Federation, Juan Carlos Martín ‘Hansen’, brandishes the country with the greatest potential for growth in international rugby, partly because of its first-class stadiums; the challenge is to fill them, because Metropolitano, with some 20,000 occupied seats, was too big. The fans enthusiastically chanted the first Spanish defenses, but the public address system and the Argentine celebrations won the battle of decibels.
The fifth game between both teams was doomed to a blushing score. Argentina had won the previous four, from 19-28 in Vallhermoso in 1982 to 34-43 in 1992, their last date. With everything resolved, Cheika was upset of the first order when he saw Santiago Grandona limping off in tears, encouraged by his companions in the band. Spain sought the test until the end, but it only came in the imagination of Tani Bay, who slipped under the sticks after an early serve and caused an ovation. Argentina turned the best Spanish incursion in their mark area, avoided the perched and Martín Bogado scored the ninth test of the night with time up. Because in rugby there are no friendlies and no points are given away.
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