One-sided: France win
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France exacted revenge for last week and recorded a comprehensive 49-10 victory over Argentina in their Test at Estadio José Fierro on Saturday.
In contrast to their clash in Cordoba, les Bleus looked a different side as their six changes paid off as Benjamin Fall and Maxime Mermoz shone.
First-half tries in Tucumán came from Fall, Yoann Huget and also Maxime Machenaud as it seemed Philippe Saint-Andre's rallying call had worked.
A slip into their infuriating style of looking for the drop-goal was looking like taking the gloss off what was a decent showing from the French. But they thankfully reverted back to what had worked earlier as Mermoz swapped from being provider to scorer with a long-range breakout from his own 22 before Huget grabbed his brace. Clermont's Alexandre Lapandry barged over for their last try.
The third-string Pumas, who are resting over 20 first-team players ahead of their big 2012 Rugby Championship debut, did get over the whitewash in the closing stages when Tomas De la Vega capitalised on weak fringe defence to allow Felipe Contepomi the final scoring act before he heads back to club duty.
France's victory ended a run of four straight internationals without a win.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan meanwhile will now look ahead to the Pumas' Rugby Championship opener against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town on August 18.
Man-of-the-match: Yoann Huget and Benjamin Fall impressed on the wings but for his creativity, Maxime Mermoz take this. A classy showing and he was deserving of his try.
Moment-of-the-match: As soon as Maxime Mermoz broke the line on twelve minutes before drawing the last man to set up Benjamin Fall, one just got the feeling Argentina were not going to be as sturdy as last week. So it proved as the half-time scoreline of 30-3 said it all.
Villain-of-the-match: Few handbags here and there but nothing major.
The scorers:
For Argentina:
Try: De la Vega
Con: Contepomi
Pen: Contepomi
For France:
Tries: Fall, Huget 2, Machenaud, Mermoz, Lapandry
Con: Michalak 5
Pen: Michalak 3
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Facundo Barrea, 13 Agustin Gosio, 12 Felipe Contepomi (c), 11 Manuel Montero, 10 Benjamin Urdapilleta, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Tomas Leonardi, 6 Tomas De la Vega, 5 Esteban Lozada, 4 Julio Farias Cabello, 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2 Andres Bordoy, 1 Eusebio Guinazu.
Replacements: 16 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 17 Bruno Postiglioni, 18 Santiago Guzman, 19 Benjamin Macome, 20 Rodrigo Baez, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Gabriel Ascarate.
France: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Benjamin Fall, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Yoann Huget, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Maxime Machenaud, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 6 Alexandre Lapandry, 5 Yoan Maestri, 4 Pascal Pape (c), 3 David Attoub, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Vincent Debaty.
Replacements: 16 Christopher Tolofua, 17 Thomas Domingo, 18 Christopher Samson, 19 Wenceslas Lauret, 20 Morgan Parra, 21 Francois Trinh Duc, 22 Wesley Fofana.
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
By Adam Kyriacou
Comments
Rosbif says...
@Lucasrg. 100% agree. very interesting performance at 9 from machenaud. will be interesting to see him play at racing with wisniewski next season.
In my mind, 10 is still the real problem. freddie was great but he won't be there in 2015. who knows, maybe if parra doesn't need to play 9, he could play 10 like in RWC. I, for one, thought he played pretty well at 10 and the backline looked dangerous at times with him there. Or maybe wisniewski? Or pierre bernard? I really feel FTD and beauxis have had lots of chances and disappointed too often.
So Fra backline for 2015 could be: machenaud, parra, fall, mermoz, fofana, huget, medard (with wisniewski/bernard, david/fritz, buttin/dulin on the bench).
In the meantime, let's hope PSA is not tempted to select yach, rougerie, poitrenaud, clerc etc next season (except in extremis if the youngsters are injured).
Allez!!
Posted 10:28 27th June 2012
Lucasrg says...
I watch the game and I saw a very interesting Maxime Machenaud for the future of franch witouth Yachcivili (spelling?).
Posted 14:22 26th June 2012
Nicotait says...
@atg77 nothing to justify their inclusion?? Im sorry, probably they should have won the WC in NZ and every test match since 2007 for you to consider them worthy of having a regular competition. Dont´t forget we only played 19 official test matches between 2007 and 2011, while the rest played around 40. And even so, we got to the semi finals, loosing against the best team in the competition (hell, the world!). That shows you how important getting together with time to practice really is for a team with no regular competition whatsoever. By your standars, Italy and Scottland shouldn´t be playing in the Six Nations right?
Nevertheless, im aware its going to be tough, but as i´ve said before, we are here for the long run.
Posted 03:42 26th June 2012
PAMPA says...
atg77, you don`t like Pumas, this is your only problem...give as a chance to improve and then you can say, we are not good enough in this tournament...
Posted 13:52 25th June 2012
PAMPA says...
"Los Pumas"
Horacio Agulla
Patricio Albacete
Marcos Iván Ayerza
Marcelo Bosch
Martín Bustos Moyano
Maximiliano Bustos
Gonzalo Oscar Camacho
Rafael Carballo
Manuel Carizza
Agustín Creevy
Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe
Santiago Fernández
Juan Figallo
Agustín Figuerola
Álvaro Galindo
Lucas González Amorosino
Juan Martín Hernández
Juan José Imhoff
Juan Manuel Leguizamón
Juan Pablo Orlandi
Martín Rodríguez
Federico Nicolás Sánchez
Tomás Vallejos
Nicolás Vergallo
Posted 23:57 24th June 2012
atg77 says...
Argentina are really going to struggle to compete in the RC, never mind actually win a game. Since their high of reaching the semis in 07 they really have done nothing to justify their inclusion, with 40% win record and only a handful of wins over Scotland, England and France. They might have a chance against Australia at home, otherwise a comprehensive Argentinian whitewash is looking to be a pretty safe bet.
Posted 18:16 24th June 2012
atg77 says...
Regardless of the fact this is a 2nd string Pumas team,
Posted 18:08 24th June 2012
Nicotait says...
@lacroix from the team that played yesterday against France, there is only one who will probably be part of the first XV in the RC, and that´s Julio Farias Cabello, who had to leave the field in the first half (remember Contempomi isn´t playing the RC). As for what you said about the scrum, you are right, in the first match against France, it was a problem, but i think that improved quite a bit on the second match. And for the RC, i am confident that players like Ayerza, Roncero and Creevy won´t have much trouble at the scrum, but it is the lineout instead what worries me the most.
As i´ve said in another post, its going to be a tough RC for us, this one, the next one and the next 10, 20 to come for sure! But we havent entered the RC to win it (at least not yet). We must be able to look at this as a long-term process, which will surelly show its rewards may be 15 years from now, when the kids who started watching the RC from the begining can start looking at the All Blacks, the Aussies and the Boks as if they were human, that they can beat them. I think what´s happening now with France, the fact that we can beat them in a regular basis, its what might happen a few years from now with the southern hemisphere superpowers. Playing constantly against them, getting to know them, eventually we will beat them, no doubt about it. We just need to be patient...
Posted 17:48 24th June 2012
lacroix says...
i dont think its accurate to call this a third string Pumas side, and saying there were 20 'first team ' players being rested is inaccurate. there may be 20 active capped players not in last nights team but thats not really the same thing is it?
i think for the pumas its worrying that for the second week they were seriously outgunned in the scrum - rested players notwithstanding, this is one area that argentina have always been able to compete in..failing to do so vs ABs, SA and Aus will result in a chastening championship for them.
a few positives for france- always good to end with a win, and some younger players showing class touches.
Posted 08:23 24th June 2012
atg77 says...
Allez les Bleu!!!
Posted 03:10 24th June 2012
Bambo says...
A rag bag French outfit missing many first choice players versus a rag bag Argentinian outfit missing many first choice players produced an exciting game to watch.
Good to see the French running and attacking from deep. Good to see one of the most hostile home crowds silenced. Good to see Contepomi having a great chuckle with Para and others at the end of the match. Good spirited game.
Allez!
Posted 00:47 24th June 2012