Agustín Creevy
Argentinian Pumas skipper Agustin Creevy said the presence of former Pumas in Durban helped inspire a stunning and historic 37 / 25 Rugby Championship triumph over the Springboks on Saturday.
“The presence of these rugby heroes of our nation was a major factor in the success,” the 30-year-old hooker said.
Survivors of the 1965 Pumas – the 1st Argentine rugby team to play in South Africa – celebrated the 50th anniversary of the pioneering trip by watching the Test at the Growthpoint Kings Park stadium.
And when the final whistle blew and the Pumas triumphed for the 1st time against the Springboks after 19 failed attempts and also won away in The Rugby Championship for the 1st time, they moved toward the ‘golden oldies’ and clapped.
The gesture was returned as the group of smartly attired ex-national team players, wearing dark suits, blue ties and white shirts, stood to acknowledge a great day for Argentine rugby.
There have been few such days recently with the Pumas humiliated 73 / 13 by the Springboks in Soweto just 2 years ago, and the win in Durban was only the 2nd in 21 Rugby Championship outings for Los Pumas.
But those facts were distant memories after 3-try wing Juan Imhoff helped restore Argentine pride, following heavy losses last month to the All Blacks and Wallabies.
“I feel so much pride,” said official man of the match, Juan Imhoff, who created the 100-second 1st try for centre Marcelo Bosch before scoring 2 in the 1st half and 1 just after halftime.
His 3rd try on 43 minutes was the killer blow as World Rugby 2nd-ranked South Africa suffered a 3rd consecutive loss in The Rugby Championship, to rivals ranked 6 places lower, after recent failures against the Wallabies and All Blacks.
Down 27 / 13 at halftime, the Springboks believed play had not restarted after an injury stoppage and were caught napping on their tryline when Pumas flyhalf, Juan Martin Hernandez, took a quick tap penalty.
The playmaker raced toward the corner, sent Juan Imhoff over and converted the try for a 31-point advantage that was never in serious danger of being overtaken.
Coach Daniel Hourcade, who has witnessed some heavy beatings since succeeding Santiago Phelan 2 years ago, said the mental toughness of the Pumas played a key role.
“It was a crucial factor,” he said. “To beat the Springboks you must be mentally strong.
“We played well tonight and won the mental battle against 1 of the strongest rugby nations in the world.
“I believe we surprised our opponents, starting with the try by Marcelo just over 1 minute after the kick-off.”
South Africa get a quick chance for revenge next Saturday at the Velez Sarsfield football stadium in Buenos Aires.
The match will celebrate the 1st Pumas tour of South Africa 50 years ago and be the final Test for both nations before the 18 September Rugby World Cup kick-off in England.
Twice champions South Africa are in Pool B at the global showpiece with Japan, Samoa, Scotland and the United States.
Argentina, whose best Rugby World Cup showing was 3rd place in 2007, play title-holders New Zealand, Georgia, Namibia and Tonga in Pool C.
Sport24