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 Perfect plan Sun does not rise against Pumas
Posted: Saturday October 16, 1999 06:21 PM
CARDIFF, Wales (CNN/SI) -- It wasn't the most convincing win of the tournament, but Argentina's 33-12 victory over Japan was sufficient to guarantee it a spot in the qualifying playoffs for the quarterfinals as the best third-placed team in group play. The Pumas failed to top the Group D standings, thereby avoiding a quarterfinal against Australia, and finished behind Western Samoa who will take on Scotland. Gonzalo Quesada once more had his kicking boots on as he scored 21 points in the final match of the World Cup. Quesada, who scored all 18 points in the opening round loss to Wales and added 27 in Argentina's upset win against Samoa at Llanelli, now leads the World Cup scorers' standings with 66 points from three group games. Diego Albanese crashed over for a try in injury time and Agustin Pichot crossed in the first half as the Argentines outscored Japan two tries to nil, which bolstered their tournament tally of tries to three. Needing to win and score 69 points to take top place in Group D and advance directly to a quarterfinal confrontation with the Wallabies, the Pumas settled for the easier route into the finals by placing third. The Pumas joined Wales and Samoa with two wins and a loss apiece but, with match points equal and positions therefore decided on points accrued during pool games, Wales finished on top with 118 points ahead of Samoa with 93 and Argentina on 83. The Japanese threw everything into attack and spread the ball wide at every opportunity. Left wing Pat Tuidraki received the ball on at least a dozen occasions but handling errors at critical times denied the Pacific Rim champions of a five pointer. Quesada and his opposite number Keiji Hirose traded penalty goals early in the second half as Argentina extended its halftime lead to 20-9 and Japan reduced the margin to 20-12 before Quesada booted the Pumas 11 points clear in the 55th minute. Japan launched a series of raids on the Argentine line but a handling error cost them 70 meters and a another three points when the Pumas toed a loose ball downfield and had a chaser dragged back in a race for the ball. Quesada slotting the penalty from 30 meters out to make the score 26-12. Argentina crossed for the only try of the opening 40 minutes when scrumhalf Pichot touched down in the 28th minute. After Quesada landed penalty goals and Hirose responded with a 35-meter goal on 23 minutes to make the score 6-3, Pichot put the Pumas eight points ahead with a solo try. The little halfback turned blind before charging down the short side from a maul in the attacking quarter, selling a dummy to the only defender and beating the cover to the left hand corner. Quesada missed the conversion from the sideline but slotted three penalty goals in the 10 minutes before halftime, while Hirose kicked goals in the 37th minute and in injury time to close the gap to eight points at the break. The Argentine backs, who were caught behind the advantage line on a number of occasions, missed another chance to score when outside center Eduardo Simone wasted a two man overlap inside the Japanese quarter and was clobbered by the defense. Argentina lost 23-18 to Wales in the tournament opener at Millennium Stadium and then came from behind with 29 unanswered second-half points to beat Samoa 32-16 at Llanelli. Japan lost its opening game 43-9 in Wrexham and was outgunned by Wales in a 64-15 romp at Cardiff and finished the tournament winless. Therefore Wales will face Australia in a quarterfinal in Cardiff on October 23, while Samoa will meet Scotland in a playoff at Murrayfield on Oct. 20 with the winner there advancing to an Oct. 24 quarterfinal clash with Cup favorite New Zealand.
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