Consolation for Argentina as win over USA secures automatic 2023 qualification
Argentina secured the consolation of qualification for the 2023 World Cup as they wrapped up their 2019 campaign with a 47-17 win against the United States.
Defeat to England last time out ended the Pumas’ hopes of reaching the knockout stages, having made it to the semi-finals four years ago.
But they made sure of third place in Pool C with a comfortable victory over the US in their final match of the tournament in Kumagaya on Wednesday.
It took Mario Ledesma’s much-changed Argentina side until the 19th minute to break the deadlock, with Nicolas Sanchez, who contributed 15 points in total, touching down in the corner despite a last-ditch tackle from Mike Te’o.
Joaquin Tuculet got on the end of a chip to stretch the advantage and crossed again six minutes from the break, but Blaine Scully raced on to an AJ MacGinty grubber kick to reduce the deficit in the closing stages of the half.
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The Pumas found their rhythm early in the second period, with Juan Cruz Mallia crossing twice in the opening seven minutes and Jeronimo De La Fuente finishing off an excellent move as the South Americans opened up a 40-5 lead.
Paul Lasike barged his way through the Argentine defence just short of the hour mark to take the US into double figures and, after Gonzalo Bertranou had chalked up Argentina’s seventh try, Scully went over for his second to round off the scoring.
The US face Tonga in Osaka on Sunday in a clash between Pool C’s two eliminated sides.
- Press Association
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Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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