Argentina ………59pts
Tries: Sanchez 9, Gonzalez 16, 68, Creevy 23, Bogado 46, Isgro 64, Ruiz 77, Carreras 79 Conversions: Sanchez 10, 17, 24, 47, 65, 69; Carreras 78, 81 Penalties: Sanchez 13
Chile ………………… 5pts
Tries: Dussaillant 73
CENTURION Nicolas Sanchez rose to the occasion on a special day in Nantes by scoring 20 points to guide Argentina to a big win over Chile in the first ever Rugby World Cup South American derby.
Fly-half Sanchez led his side out as he joined his skipper Agustin Creevy in becoming just the second Puma to win 100 caps.
Argentina came into the must win contest after a poor display in the loss to England and an underwhelming showing in their win over Samoa. But Michael Cheika's side flexed their muscles and their bonus point victory provides confidence ahead of their qualification shootout with Japan.
Head coach Cheika said: “Japan are a great team, they were quarter-finalists last time and we weren't. We'll take a couple of days off, and get ready for a great game.”
After dominating the early stages in both possession and territory, Argentina took the lead after a moment of magic from fly-half Sanchez. The Brive No.10 weaved his way through the defence and a dummy paved the way to the try line.
Sanchez converted the try from out wide and then knocked over a penalty. Saracens' new signing Juan Martin Gonzalez crashed over from closerange with Sanchez converting.
Sale signing Creevy was next to score a seven-pointer, burrowing over from a driving maul.
Argentina's momentum and fast start was momentarily halted as Rodrigo Isgro was sent to the sin bin after using force to the face of Rodrigo Fernandez in a tackle.
The Pumas threatened to score another but the breakdown heroics of the smallest man on the field, Marcelo Torrealba, stopped the Argentinian avalanche with a textbook jackal before silky hands by the Argentina backs put Martin Bogado in to score his first World Cup try as he crossed with an impressive finish.
The Chilean fans were sent into raptures when Augusto Bohme blew back Lautaro Bazan Velez to cross from a well worked lineout but the TMO proved the party pooper, pointing out a forward pass in the build up.
Rodrigo Isgro was fed on the inside and sniped through the Chile defence before smashing his way through to score under the posts. Gonzalez doubled his tally with a simple score in the corner after Facundo Isa freed his arms in the tackle, before Chile got on the scoresheet in the closing stages.
Chile's backs joined the forwards in a driving maul with Tomas Dussaillant getting the try. But an eighth Argentina try followed as Ignacio Ruiz was unstoppable from five metres out in the final play.
