On This Day in 2007

September 07 2007, the day rugby changed forever, and for the better. The international order was turned on its head thanks to Argentina defeating France in the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2007.

While many thought of it as being a major upset this was not the reality. Instead Los Pumas entered having beaten France in four of the past five matches. The one loss had been by a single point. The 27-26 result in November 2006 was played ten months prior to the 2007 Rugby World Cup opener.

An additional factor preventing this from being an upset was the form of Argentine players in Europe. The Marcelo Loffreda coached team took to the field with fourteen European-based professionals in Paris that evening.

Fresh from winning the 2007 Top 14 Final several months earlier were Agustín Pichot, Juan Martín Hernández and Rodrigo Roncero. On the losing side that evening for Clermont were Martín Scelzo and Gonzalo Longo. All but Longo played in the 2007 opener. Due to injury Longo was replaced by Juan Manuel Leguizamón.

Also starting were Ignacio Fernández Lobbe and Felipe Contepomi. The former won the English premiership in 2006 and the latter what is now the Guinness Pro 12 in 2008.

The strength in depth did not end there. Also involved were players to have won the Top 14 at one time or another including Patricio Albacete, Rimas Alvarez Kairellis, Ignacio Corleto, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe and Alberto Vernet Basualdo.

As the players walked down the tunnel and waited to enter the field it was clear that one team was relaxed while the other was pumped up. This was further enforced during the national anthems when no dry eyes could be seen among the South Americans.

Playing not only for their country but against a global order of protectionism, the Pichot captained side knew they could change the landscape. That they did as their 17-12 win at the Stade de France set them off on a historic course which would finish in them claiming Bronze.

At the same tournament neither Australia nor New Zealand made it past the Quarter Finals. Wales also fell short of their mark, being eliminated in the pool phase by Fiji. Signs were also in place that Georgia could be a team of future potential as they pushed Ireland to the limit and defeated Namibia by 30 points.

The tournament was ultimately won by South Africa.  The Springboks were too strong for Los Pumas in there Semi Final. This, however, is not the story from the tournament. To the contrary it is what Argentina managed and on little resources.

Post Rugby World Cup 2007 World Rugby (then International Rugby Board) did themselves and rugby a favor by acknowledging the need to change the international agenda. In a meeting in Woking, England in late 2007 what to do with Argentina was widely discussed. From it the paths to the Rugby Championship and Super Rugby were born.

The current members of Los Pumas know all too well just how important of a result it was in Paris on this day in 2007. The 22 men who gave it their all were directly responsible for what has since transpired.

ARGENTINA
15 Ignacio Corleto, 14 Lucas Borges, 13 Manuel Contepomi, 12 Felipe Contepomi, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Juan Martín Hernández, 9 Agustín Pichot (capt.), 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Lucas Ostiglia, 6 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Ignacio Fernández Lobbe, 3 Martín Scelzo, 2 Mario Ledesma, 1 Rodrigo Roncero

Replacements: 16 Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17 Santiago González Bonorino, 18 Rimas Alvarez Kairellis, 19 Martín Durand, 20 Nicolás Fernández Miranda, 21 Federico Todeschini, 22 Hernán Senillosa