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During the final weeks of waiting for Rugby World Cup 2019 to arrive Americas Rugby News will be taking a look back at some moments from past RWCs involving competitors from the Americas. In week four the feature team is Argentina.
In day four of the series the feature is the opening match of RWC 2007 in Paris, France. Los Pumas would defeat the tournament hosts to gain the attention they so badly sought as Argentina lacked annual competition outside of the June and November Internationals.
RWC 2007 marked the third consecutive World Cup in which Argentina had faced the hosts in the tournament opener. This time around it was a Pumas side whose players were all professionals aside from winger Horacio Agulla.
Argentina’s game plan was a tight-game with a kick-chase policy from Juan Martín Hernández to which France were unable to play well against. Fullback Ignacio Corleto would score the only try of the game which center Felipe Contepomi would kick 12-points in a man-of-the-match performance.
The 17-12 win would be the first of an unbeaten run in the group stage. Los Pumas would go on to defeat Georgia in Lyon; Namibia in Marseilles; and Ireland in Paris. The four victories saw them winning the pool and advancing to face Scotland in the Quarter Finals. Argentina would finish the tournament in third place and World Rugby (then the International Rugby Board) would respond to enable the South Americans to enter the Tri Nations to form the Rugby Championship.
