The Argentines scored a crucial victory in their match against Samoa for the second day of Group D of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Despite a lackluster performance, the victory gives confidence to the Argentine team ahead of their next match against Chile.
In a stadium won over to their cause, the Pumas managed to reassure themselves after their defeat against England in the opening match. They won against Samoa with a score of 19 to 10, in a rather serious but without genius match.
This victory was largely due to errors made by Samoan players, notably fly-half Christian Lealiifano and full-back Duncan Paia’aua. Lealiifano forgot to put a recovered ball into play, giving the Argentine team a golden opportunity. As for Paia’aua, he committed a foul in the first seconds of the match, leaving his teammates outnumbered for the first ten minutes.
Despite the solid Samoan defense, Argentina managed to score a try thanks to winger Emiliano Boffelli, who perfectly concluded a well-executed launch of the game by his team. The Pumas then maintained their lead throughout the match, taking no unnecessary risks.
This victory allows Argentina to maintain legitimate hopes of qualifying for the final stages of the World Cup. After facing Chile, the Argentine team will face Japan, and if they continue this momentum, they could well reach the quarter-finals.
However, to reach the semi-finals and follow in the footsteps of the Argentinian teams that preceded them in 2007 and 2015, Argentina will have to raise their level of play. This progress is, however, achievable, and the team seems on course to do better than four years ago, when she failed to get out of her group at the World Cup in Japan.
The victory against Samoa was therefore a relief for the Argentine team. It allowed him to regain confidence and believe in his abilities. Now, the objective is to continue this positive dynamic and to prepare as best as possible for the next challenges to come.
In conclusion, Argentina’s victory against Samoa at the 2023 Rugby World Cup restored confidence in the team and opened the doors to the final stages. This success is the result of a solid strategy and a few mistakes made by the opponents. Now, the Argentine team must continue to progress to hope to reach the heights of the competition.