2023-10-08 17:26:25
Mateo Carreras, whose hat-trick greatly contributed to his team’s victory against Japan and their qualification for the quarter-finals, Sunday October 8 in Nantes. LOIC VENANCE / AFP
The Argentinians and the Japanese, who faced each other on Sunday October 8 in Nantes, should not be fooled by the summer temperature bathing the meeting. The month of October is well underway and the group stage of the Rugby World Cup is almost over: a failure at the Beaujoire stadium was therefore synonymous with an early return home without having seen the quarter-finals.
Before the meeting, we could also fear that these two teams, until now insipid and laborious in this World Cup, would be plunged even further into tetany by this decisive match. It was nothing of the sort: the Argentines and Japanese finally put ambition and enthusiasm into their game, delivering one of the most thrilling and spectacular matches of the World Cup.
At the end of a game where the two teams went blow for blow, it was ultimately the Argentines who finished stronger, winning 39 to 27, and thus won the right to play a quarter-final against the Wales, Saturday October 14, in Marseille.
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High-profile attackers
On the Beaujoire lawn, we saw some of the best actions since the start of the World Cup. The images of Amato Fakatava’s try (15th) will remain for a long time in the memories of the spectators, amazed by the dazzling race of the massive Japanese second row along the touchline, overtaking the Argentinian hooker Julian Montoya by holding the ball with one hand before trying a delicious kick over the last two South American defenders.
But it was especially the Argentine attackers who stood out: Emiliano Boffelli, Santiago Chocobares, Juan Cruz Mallia and Mateo Carreras disgusted the Japanese defense, each covering more than 75 meters with the ball. They didn’t wait more than two minutes for this: with a sharp breakthrough, Toulouse center Santiago Chocobares went behind the goal line for the first time in the game.
And what about the three tries (28th, 46th and 68th) of the racing car Mateo Carreras? During previous meetings, the pocket winger had not been able to make his supersonic support speak: during this match he found spaces which he devoured with long strides, making the Japanese defense dizzy (eight defenders beaten) .
Since the start of this World Cup and its litany of high scores, we had almost forgotten the taste for suspense and close matches. The Japanese skillfully maintained it, never letting themselves be completely left behind, including with drops. The exercise is a bit outdated, especially for the Japanese, but that did not prevent fullback Lomano Lemeki from unleashing a superb one, from 45 meters (55th).
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