Pumas put on a show for Leguizamon sendoff
ARGENTINA secured third place in Pool C with a bonus-point win over the USA to book their place at the 2023 tournament in France.
After defeats by France and England, it is the first time the Pumas have failed to reach the knockout stages since 2003.
Coach Mario Ledesma said: “They were playing for someone really special today (Juan Manuel Leguizamon, retiring after 87 caps) and I’m really happy that he had the farewell he deserved.
“Qualifying for France wasn’t in our heads – we wanted to play better, we wanted to do on the field what we practised and to do it for him.
“We expected the younger players to step up and they delivered. Obviously, we are out of the World Cup but, with those guys, the future is looking good for Argentine rugby.
On scoring seven tries he added: “In the last few months we’ve been trying to have a good combination with fly-half and backs and that worked well. It was a great combination with everyone, they worked together as a team; that is how you win a match and how we want to win a match.”
Joaquin Tuculet scored a first-half double for the Pumas after Nicolas Sanchez’s opener.
Blaine Scully touched down for USA, latching onto a neat grubber through from Sale fly-half AJ MacGinty.
Argentina centre Juan Cruz Mallia crossed twice to reassert Argentina’s dominance in the second half, with further scores from Jeronimo De La Fuente and Gonzalo Bertranou.
Harlequins cenre Paul Lasike responded with a try and Scully added a late third for the USA, who finish their campaign against Tonga today.
US coach Gary Gold believes his side have improved over the course of the competition.
“I’m disappointed in the outcome but really proud of the effort from the guys,” he said. “Even the biggest cynic could see how hard the guys tried and how hard they worked.”