A dream weekend, it was also about to be a dream Sunday for Los Pumas. To the classification assured to the Olympic Games of Paris 2024 – his third consecutive – was added a silver medal in the Seven of another French city like Toulouse, after losing a very even outcome against the All Blacks (19-24) in extra time of the tenth stage, where they had an unbeatable advantage and even options to win it at the end.
It was not the best start of Los Pumas -who had very early overcome Canada to get into the match for gold-, in their 100th game of history against the All Blacks. In the first minute, New Zealand broke inside and got the try by Regan Ware under the sticks, which also allowed the conversion for the 7-0.
But the response was unbeatable for those led by Santiago Gómez Cora, because after a recovery, Luciano González gathered marks to pure power, Rodrigo Sgro built it and Germán Schulz supported well close to the 'H' to allow the tie in 7.
The yellow to Rokolisoa gave a key advantage to Los Pumas, who did not waste it to turn the result with a solitary run by Agustín Fraga until the ingoal.
And on the last play of the first half, Albiceleste try-man Marcos Moneta appeared, who intercepted a pass in an attack with advantage for the All Blacks and went alone to support the icing to extend the advantage.
New Zealand reacted at the start of the complement with a long run by Rokolisoa -the top scorer of the whole season-, which conversion through, left the distance to only five points.
With three minutes left, the All Blacks struck again on the right wing: Roderick Solo's speed was too much for the fastest Argentine (Marcos Moneta) who allowed the score to tie at 19 and left the end open.
There were two key mistakes for Los Pumas: first a child knock-on of Sgro in the last play of regular time and then the exit of the supplementary -the draw had won the albiceleste team-, which also had merit of New Zealand to recover the ball and play the action that ended in the try of the title, work again of Solo.
Argentina, as happened recently in the final in Singapore, took to the limit New Zealand, which ratified its dominance of champion of the season, in the absence of the last chapter next week in London. The other good one? The Pumas achieved their best historical performance on a world circuit, as they secured second place.
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