Cougars 7s crowned another great performance despite the defeat against New Zealand in the final of the ninth stage of the Sevens World Tour that was held in Singapore. Santiago Gómez Cora’s team lost by a tight 19-17 before the men in black to keep a valuable silver medal that will allow them to add 19 points in the ranking position table.
In this way, the Argentine team continues in the second position in the qualification for the Olympic Games, just behind NZ, and with only two more tournaments left for the end of the season, the ticket for paris 2024 is getting closer. The Pumas 7s accumulate 140 points and they are behind New Zealand, which has 164. Third was Fiji with 140 and France is fourth, but has its place in the Olympics secured. Asutralia occupies the fifth and last place at the Olympic event with 112 units.
TWO REMEMBERED DEFINITIONS OF 2023
In this final match, both teams reissued those played on February 26 at the Sevens in Los Angeles where the “men in black” triumphed 22-12, and the previous one on January 22 of this year in Hamilton, which had been The team led by Santiago Gómez Cora remained by 14 to 12.
A BRILLIANT SEASON FOR BOTH
The Pumas Seven managed to reach four finals on the Circuit this season, winning two of them in Hamilton, against New Zealand, 14-12, and in Vancouver, against France, 33-21. Meanwhile, the All Blacks reached the play the final staying with four of them, the one in Sydney where they thrashed South Africa 38-0, in Los Angeles precisely beating Los Pumas 7s by 22-12, last week in Hong Kong where they beat Fiji by 24- 17 and getting today’s for 19 to 17.
NO OBJECTIONS, THE GRAND FINAL WENT TO NEW ZEALAND
From beginning to end New Zealand managed the game, it was more despite playing with a man less and fairly stayed with the Singapore seven. That does not take away from the merits of an Argentine team that once again raised its flag high and that with a great effort beat Great Britain at the end of the game, Samoa in the extra time and did not reach it, being only two points behind. against New Zealand in the final.
AN ALL BLACK BOOT
New Zealand became the owner of the shares and after a minute Dylan Collier supported the first try of the match that with the conversion of Akuila Rokolisoa put the partial 7 to 0. Argentina was in response with a fulbazo to the bottom of Marcos Moneta that did not prosper by little.
In any case, Gómez Cora’s team kept looking, but in one against Moses Leo supported the second conquest to leave the result 12-0, with 3 minutes left in the first half.
The Pumas Seven had to shrink to stay in the game. And so it was that with his traditional pride, Rodrigo Isgró from Mendoza thoroughly and after a good pass from Gastón Revol left Joaquín Pellandini alone to support the Argentine discount try on the left flag and put the partial 12 to 5.
After that exit, a play changed the development of the match. Dylan Collier went to fight for the top start and fouled off an excellent jumper from Shultz, leaving New Zealand a man down.
The Pumas Seven had one more play to shorten the gap that could not be by very little, when after a good collective action, they failed in the final pass from Marcos Moneta to Pellandini. In this way, the tie was narrowly escaped and the first half ended with the score 12 to 5 for New Zealand and one minute for the Argentines to play with one more man at the start of the second half.
A VIBRANT SECOND TIME
The Pumas Seven came out determined to give it all up and gamble in that first minute. And that was how Luciano González banked the mark, gave the pass to Germán Shultz and he supported the second albiceleste conquest on the left flag. The conversion was unsuccessful and the score was 12 to 10 for those in black.
But New Zealand immediately scored again through another Argentine handling error that after a bad pass in New Zealand’s 22-yard line “they gave it up” and Brady Rush took advantage of it, who responded with a run that defined under the sticks. Akuila Rokolisoa’s goal put the score at 19-10, with less than 3.30″ to play.
And there they went again, those of Gómez Cora, wounded in their self-respect and with their pride on their backs, seeking to reduce the difference and turn the game around. But they were met with a solid black-clad defense that did its job very well. In any case, Rodrigo Isgró, tireless, was a few centimeters from supporting and when the clock was already ticking off Marcos Moneta appeared to get his sixth try in the tournament and reduce the final difference. Luciano González’s goal decorated and brought the final plate closer to a fair New Zealand victory by 19-17.
In short, the result and the champion are fine, because New Zealand “punished” when they could, they knew how to play it and took advantage of Argentine mistakes to score. For their part, the albiceleste cast, as is now tradition, left everything behind and put in that 110% that so many times gave them satisfaction, but this time against a tival of such a hierarchy it did not reach them.
New Zealand was the champion of Singapore and qualified for the Olympics, Argentina finished second and is on its way to it. Toulouse and London will surely bring more joy to both teams and the sought-after classification if Gómez Cora’s team continues on this path.
THE CHRONICLE OF THE TRIUMPH AGAINST SAMOA IN THE SEMIFINALS
At the start, both teams came out determined to look for the match. The Samoan team with its traditional platform of hard physical play and those of Gómez Cora looking to continue on the path of the team as a priority to uneven based on their collective game.
It was hard for Los Pumas 7s because at the minute Tuna Tuitama supported the first try and with Paul Scanlan’s conversion they left the Samoans up 7-0. The Argentine team looked for discount and found it with a run from the side by Marcos Moneta, their high kick and the pass behind the mark so that Luciano González appeared to reduce the difference. The score 7 to 5 was close to Los Pumas 7s.
The next start was for Argentina, who took the ball, but hurried and Rodrigo Isgró left a ball on the field that ended up being “a gift” for Samoa, who thus reached their second try supported by Faafoi Falaniko and converted by him. himself to go to rest up by 14 to 5.
A QUIET TALK
Santiago Gómez Cora’s talk left aside the clear mistake at the end and emphasized obtaining and managing actions for the second half. That’s how Argentina started looking to narrow the gap again and with a great effort and repairing his previous mistake, Rodrigo Isgró from Mendoza supported the second Albiceleste try almost on the flag. Vera Feld’s conversion from a very difficult place put Gómez Cora’s team within two goals (12-14).
But Samoa was not willing to make it easy for the Argentines and after the start they again managed to increase, eluded two tackles and reached the Argentine ingoal to stretch the advantage again with Vaa Apelu Maliko’s try. The result with less than 3 minutes to go was 19 to 12 against the light blue and white team.
Changes, rotations and the search for the converted try as the only resource to stretch the match. Nothing easy, but nothing impossible either for this Argentine team that never gives up.
And in stoppage time and after another great collective move, Tomás Elizalde arrived at the try, which was awarded after the TMO. Vera Feld’s conversion was missing to reach the tie and the extra time, which happened when the ball passed through the H and sealed the equality in 19 goals.
The extra time had “El Rayo” Marcos Moneta again on the court. Despite Isgró’s effort, the start was not enough and the ball was from Samoa. Once again to defend, errors on both sides and recovery of the ball for Argentina.
RAYO MONETA AND HIS TRY TO REACH THE GRAND FINAL
And there when they needed him the most, he appeared once more and with his run, after a collective play, he sealed the game. Marcos Moneta once again got the decisive try to give Los Pumas the victory. In this way, 24 to 19 became a reality and showed that you never have to give up any game and much more if you are facing this Argentine team led by Gómez Cora.
The final will be from 8.28 against New Zealand that defeated Fiji 19 to 10. The two best teams in the tournament will meet in Singapore for the third time in another final and beyond the result The Pumas Seven won once again because They showed that they never give up and that they are a great team.
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