2023-10-09 02:57:55
Both teams understood it: it was a “life and death match” this Sunday at the Stade de la Beaujoire. After 80 minutes of a fierce war, during which the Argentines took the advantage on several occasions before suffering the return of the Japanese, the Pumas finally obtained their qualification (39-27). Finally second in this group D, Juan Cruz Mallia’s teammates will face Wales in the quarter-finals. The match will take place on Saturday October 14 at 5 p.m. in Marseille.
It was the Argentinians who started the match the best. After only two minutes of play, following a ball carried after a touch, Toulouse’s Santiago Chocobares managed to find a gap in the Japanese defense to flatten between the posts. Japanese second row Amato Fakatava responded fifteen minutes later with a splendid action along the sidelines.
In the 28th minute, Mateo Carreras restored the Pumas’ lead by scoring his first try of the afternoon. But like the first time, the Brave Blossoms regained the score just before half-time via Naoto Saito.
Mateo Carreras’ hat-trick stuns the Japanese
The second half followed the same trajectory, before the Argentinians finally made the difference. Mateo Carreras first scored his second personal try, before the Japanese came back thanks to their precision against the poles. Emiliano Boffelli once again gave his team some breathing space, but Jona Naikabula once again gave hope to the Japanese.
Twirling on his wing, Mateo Carreras finally managed to deliver the coup de grace in the 68th minute by once again finding an opening in an increasingly tired Japanese defense. Despite its incredible resilience, the Japanese XV did not recover from this umpteenth hard blow, in front of thousands of crazy Argentinian supporters.
Quarter-finalists in 2019 on their soil, the Japanese therefore left the competition from the group stage. For Argentina, who was not flamboyant but provided the essentials during this first round, it all starts now, with a great opportunity to achieve the feat against Wales this Saturday, October 14.
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