Argentina 19-10 Samoa: The Pumas keep Rugby World Cup dream alive with edgy win in saturated Saint-Étienne

Argentina recovered from their crushing loss to England to keep alive their Rugby World Cup dream with an edgy 19-10 victory over Samoa at a saturated Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne.

The Pumas had 13 days to pore over being kicked to death by England fly-half Tom Ford in a debilitating 27-10 defeat in Marseille in their tournament opener, but responded well against a typically robust Samoa side, who had to contend with a six-day turnaround after defeating Chile 43-10.

Michael Cheika’s men made a fast start to their second match in Pool D with the superb Emiliano Boffelli dragging himself over the try line before adding the conversion on 10 minutes.

In a brutal battle for set-piece supremacy, Argentina continued to hold the upper hand in the key moments with Boffelli adding three more penalties (25′, 34′ and 54′ minutes).

Sama Malolo closed the gap to 16-10 by powering over the line for his side’s only try with five minutes left as D’Angelo Leuila added the conversion to suddenly place the outcome into doubt.

But Nicolas Sanchez slammed the ball through the posts with a conclusive long-range penalty to seal the deal for the Pumas with a minute remaining.

Samoa failed to earn the bonus point for losing by nine points. Which may come into play when the final group standings are complete.

Argentina move onto a match with Chile next Saturday, while Samoa must regroup from another bruising battle before they face Japan on Thursday.

The greatest rugby matches are the ones when both teams throw the ball freely to each other, take risk and score breathtaking tries.

Unfortunately, nobody will win this World Cup adopting such a naive approach.

South Africa and their result-boosting ‘Bomb Squad’ are world champions for a reason. Muscle more than magic will win the day as the Springboks and the world’s No. 1 side Ireland will demonstrate when they collide on Saturday night.

Argentina got with such a programme in their brutal 19-10 victory over Samoa. It was a colossal heavyweight battle in the gloom, but the Pumas won the day because they managed to live with their fearsome opponents up close.

It was a match for the purists, with onlooking Argentina coach Michael Cheika fittingly peppering the air with industrial language amid the maelstrom, but sometimes attrition can be beautiful in sport.

For Argentina, with their World Cup aspirations resting on this result, winning ugly has never felt so good.

The Edinburgh winger rose to the occasion in his country’s hour of need by helping himself to 16 of Argentina’s 19 points.

The Pumas knew defeat in this match would signal the end of their Rugby World Cup campaign, but the exuberant Boffelli settled early nerves by finishing an excellent sweeping move for the opening try on nine minutes before adding the conversion.

Was held up inches from the line early in the second half when a second try seemed inevitable, but it could not dampen his day out in the incessant rain of Saint-Étienne as his side completed a victory that illustrated Boffelli’s class amid the heaving.

Heads, shoulders and boots above everybody else on the pitch.

Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia 7; Emiliano Boffelli 9, Matías Moroni 7, Santiago Chocobares 7, Mateo Carreras 7; Santiago Carreras 7, Gonzalo Bertranou 7; Thomas Gallo 6, Julian Montoya 6, Eduardo Bello 6; Guido Petti Pagadizabal 7, Matias Alemanno 7; Pablo Matera 6, Marcos Kremer 7, Juan Martin Gonzalez 7

Replacements: Agustín Creevy 6, Mayco Vivas 6, Francisco Gómez Kodela 6, Pedro Rubiolo 6, Rodrigo Bruni 6, Tomas Cubelli 6, Nicolas Sanchez 7, Lucio Cinti 6

Samoa: Duncan Paia’aua 7; Nigel Ah-Wong 7, Ulupano Junior Seuteni 7, Tumua Manu 7, Ben Lam 7; Christian Leali’ifano 7, Jonathan Taumateine 7; James Lay 7, Seilala Lam 7, Paul Alo-Emile 7; Brian Alainu’u’ese 6, Chris Vui 6; Theo McFarland 7, Fritz Lee 6, Steven Luatua 6

Replacements: Sama Malolo 7, Charlie Faumuina 6, Michael Alaalatoa 6, Taleni Junior Agaese Seu 6, Sa Jordan Taufua 6, Alai D’Angelo Leuila 6, Danny Toala 6

2′ LOOKS LIKE SAMOA ARE IN TROUBLE! Right off the bat. A dangerous challenge by Duncan Paia’aua under a high ball on Santiago Carreras and he has been shown the yellow card. Eight minutes in the bunker to discover if that could be upgraded to red by the TMO.

9′ PUMAS COME AGAIN AND GET THE FIRST SCORE Trying to get the big men involved, but once again Samoa stand firm to clear the danger. But the Pumas rework the ball well for Emiliano Boffelli to finish. Just gets there with the long reach for the try line. That is well worked in slippery conditions before Boffelli converts his own score. A 7-0 lead for the Pumas.

49′ ARGENTINA HELD UP INCHES FROM LINE Boffelli thought he was in for a second try of the day, but the blue shirts do wonderfully well to deny him. Referee deemed it a second movement in attempting momentum to complete the score after coming up short. Samoa given the chance to clear their lines. For now. Not sure how we’re still at 13-3.

55′ BUT ARGENTINA DECIDE TO SETTLE THINGS DOWN And they will go for the points from another penalty to keep the clock ticking over. Seek three points from all this territory. Better than nothing. And Boffelli obliges by chipping the pen over with ease to extend the lead to 16-3.

75′ HUGE CARRIES FROM THE SAMOA FORWARDS And they finally capitalise on the intense pressure as Argentina are pressed back as Malolo goes over at the third attempt. Leuila converts and we are back at 16-10. Game on.

78′ ARGENTINA WIN ANOTHER PENALTY! And Nicolas Sanchez closes the door on Samoa by slamming that over the posts from the tee. This game surely all over now. A 19-10 lead for the Pumas.