Argentina fall apart to lose against Barbarians

Argentina ended their year in London this afternoon, falling 38-35 to the Barbarians. The defeat came after Argentina had been leading 28-7 and sees Mario Ledesma’s team officially winless in their end of year tour.

The mark left by Ledesma has already seen personal changes. One of them is no 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón who was unwanted for the end of year tour to Europe. Ironically he would be called-up by the Barbarians to play against his countrymen. The veteran from Santiago del Estero would score the game’s first try, getting past a tackle from Sebastián Cancelliere to score.

Leguizamón had great fun in scoring the try but would not last the opening half, with injury forcing him off. At the other end of the field Los Pumas would play scintillating rugby to cancel out the Barbarians’ opening score. Quick scores by Matías Orlando and Ramiro Moyano gave Los Pumas the lead.

Orlando and Moyano were the stars of the opening half. Both would break and defend well. Moyano would assist in the third and fourth Pumas tries. He would dart in to link with captain Pablo Matera who touched down and kick through for Sebastián Cancelliere who claimed the fourth.

The Barbarians would go into half-time trailing by 14 points. Their second try was a penalty try with Matera guilty of collapsing an advancing maul.

Seven minutes into the second half and the Barbarians scored again. Crossing was South African captain Siya Kolisi, doing so from a dominant rolling-maul.

Argentina would strike back with a similar score of their own. From an attacking line-out Julián Montoya would get the push-over score. It came following an intercept meters out from Argentina’s own try line by Sebastián Cancelliere. His take and run was impressive though in being caught he lacked the pace of other Argentine wingers.

The Barbarians immediately responded with another try of their own. Replacement fly half Elton Jantjies kicked through for center Damian de Allende to gather and score. Jantjies converted from a  difficult angle to make it a 28-35 scoreline.

After a period of twenty minutes without scoring the Barbarians drew level in the final minutes. Veteran South African second-row Lood de Jager went over moments after Joaquín Díaz Bonilla had saved another try with Italian winger Tommaso Benvenuti having made an interception.

With just over two minutes remaining Jantjies slotted a drop-goal to seal the comeback win. It ends international competition for the year. Attention will now turn to the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) which starts in February.

SCORING

BARBARIANS
Try: Leguizamón, Penalty Try, Kolisi, de Allende, de Jager
Conversion: Pollard (2), Jantjies (2)
Drop Goal: Jantjies

ARGENTINA
Try: Orlando, Moyano, Matera, Cancelliere, Montoya
Conversion: Díaz Bonilla (5)

TEAMS

BARBARIANS
1 Wyatt Crockett (capt), 2 Schalk Brits, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 4 Luke Jones, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Siya Kolisi, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 9 Leon Fukofuka, 10 Handré Pollard, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Tom English, 14 Tommaso Benvenuti, 15 Jack Debreczeni

Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Anton Peikrishvili, 19 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 20 Jordan Taufua, 21 Frank Lomani, 22 Jesse Kriel, 23 Elton Jantjies

ARGENTINA
1 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 2 Julián Montoya, 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Pablo Matera (cpat.), 7 Tomás Lezana, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 13 Matías Orlando, 14 Sebastián Cancelliere, 15 Juan Cruz Mallia

Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Lucio Sordoni, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Santiago Grondona, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 23 Santiago Carreras