The French and World Cups. They seem to bring out the best of each other, a typically french performance culminated in a wondrously tense finish with France pulling through battered, bruised but undefeated.
The game started in a calm, perhaps overly sedated manner. The weight of the occasion limiting the freedom of both sides. This culminated in neither France or Argentina entering each others 22m area with an attack. However, this changed once the Puma struck with a Sanchez penalty. The Penalty awoke a french attitude leading to France beginning to attack and really up the tempo of the game.
Virimi Vakatawa put Gael Fickou over. This try used the entire width of the pitch as Vakatawa looped round and attacked the outside channels. By beating Pablo Matera, Vakatawa set up the opportunity to open the game and Fickou did not refuse with a wonderful score.
The usage of the entire pitch really stretched the Argentine backline and because Fickou was left with 15 metres to work in it enabled France to get ahead. This fast flowing french rugby really helped to keep the pressure on and it culminated in the Dupont try, as France put the 5m channel to good use while Dupont ran a strong support line to score.
The close support is what has made Dupont so good. The natural attacking flair of the Scrum Half is something that really brings an extra dynamic, the attacking force ike a sabre matched to brute strength of the pack.
France created 11 Opportunities in Argentinas half but crucially converted them at 11.9%, an ever more crucial statistic in what increasingly felt like a Quater Final. While France and Argentina both suffered from caginess is was the Argentine pack which got the best of the day, as they tightened up the game. And came out from the sheds with an increased vigour.
Argentina began to take opportunities by using the maul to score twice in 15 minutes and raise Argentinas spirits. It is also increased the speed of points they got, as at the end of the first half they had created 5 follow ons applying pressure continuously to France without reward. Yet here, Argentina broke down France and exposed Les Bleus supposedly superior forwards.
The best example of this was the rapid maul from which they scored first. France targeted the ball at the lineout trying to steal the ball. However, they couldn’t get anywhere near the ball and instead were left without players to compete with the argentina maul. Due to the gap, also between Frances pod and Argentina it allowed Argentina a large degree of control. They charged towards the line, able to counteract Frances resistance with speed more associated with backs than forwards. The rampage gave Argentina a much needed score and brought the game back within their grasp.
In all the style of the game perhaps best suited this style of gameplay with 31 kicks, allowing recovery when it went off the pitch meaning that the forwards could be even more deadly. The large portions of rest and the utter ferocity of Argentina however paled as motivation and resistance left French legs.
What we did see from France was a sense of control, in the final 10 minutes Lopez scrapes a drop goal oddly reminiscent of Sextons drop goal during the Ireland France game of 2017, yet struggling to clear the bar quite as gracefully. And while Argentina still looked to threaten, especially with Boffeli missing a late kick France Resumed command of the ship, swerving from the unlikeliest of comebacks to a terribly scrappy if not resolute victory.
To begin with, it may seem an awful game, with high errors, low points and only brief moments of tension this game has set the theatre of Pool C in action. With Argentina now needing a win against England, the game looks up. But one can see that game being close and a mammoth confrontation. Argentina have learnt a lot from this experience and a return to the pack of old maybe a saving grace if they are to arise from the ashes. On the other side, France looked set and they have begun to look clinical. And, the beautiful rugby they played did help to excite the game but they must keep more of the ball. Overall they surrendered 70.6% of possession inviting pressure, when they have a wholly clinical attack with a 30% chance of scoring in the Opponents half.
This destructive and brutal game has left Pool C open, and while Argentina looked to struggle forward dominance could be key in improving the chance of progression teeing up nicely their gamewith England as a make or break decider for the pumas, whileLes Bleus return to classic France and are becoming adept and look more threatening still.
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