NORTHAMTON SAINTS 17
ARGENTINA 40
Travis Perkins Club v Country Challenge
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Franklin’s Gardens
After much heel digging, thumb pressing and shaking of heads, both captains decided they were eager to play despite the cold snap making a snappy arrival at Franklin’s Gardens. And it took both sides a little while to warm up too.
Argentina had the better first 10 minutes, missing a penalty kick in the process, but then Saints got used to the chill and to their new-look formation and became the more potent attacking side. A lineout on Argentina’s 22 when straight from Dan Richmond to captain Matt Lord to be taken down the opposite wing by Matthieu Bourret then Vaughan Going. The latter was brought down just short of the line into touch where Saints then stole Argentina’s lineout to keep the momentum rolling. Lord then Ben Lewitt tried to breach the Pumas’ defence but were held up just in front of the posts.
Saints were the first to get points on the board though with a penalty from Bourret after 27 minutes played. However, fly-half Juan Fernandez Miranda answered Saints straight back with a drop-goal. But Saints were not too concerned as proven by Chris Wyles’s near try-scoring break on the 30-minute mark.
Full-back Federico Serra took Argentina into the lead with a penalty nine minutes later and then England-beating full-back Juan Martin Fernandez came on as a replacement for Hernan Senillosa. He made an immediate impact as within the four minutes left of extra time of the first half, he managed to pop over two penalties to take the half-time score to 3-12.
When we say pop, it was more like gun-fire. Fernandez’s kicks were direct and fast and he did not seem in the mood to miss any. A further two efforts were launched between the posts in the first five minutes of the second half, the second coming off the back of No 8 Mark Hopley’s yellow card. But Saints seemed to make the most of Hopley’s absence by scoring a driving maul try from a lineout despite the missing forward. Damien Browne was the man on top of the ball and when Bourret kicked the conversion, the scores stood at 10-18.
But then Argentina’s backs kicked in. Serra scored the Pumas’ second try of the game which Fernandez dutifully converted. He was swiftly followed by winger Rafael Carballo, who took advantage of the space created by Fernandez and did a virtual forward roll to get the ball down. Fernandez missed this conversion though, so the scoreboard read 10-30 after 60 minutes gone.
Then Argentina started to bring on the replacements but then lost their captain, Patrico Albercete, to a yellow card. Saints made the most of the man advantage and it was Hopley who repaid his previous misdemeanour with his debut try. Bourret took the conversion to take Saints to 17 points.
But Argentina were not finished. A second try from Carballo and the last one from replacement Horacio Agulla made the final score 17-40. However, the experience gained by some of the youngsters on the field, on both sides, was invaluable, and the honour of a first club cap was awarded to Saints debutants triallist prop John Brooks, hooker Matias Cortese, lock James Percival, fly-half Dan Lavery and centre Adam Barnard.
Teams:
Northampton Saints – Laird; Going, Wyles, Mallon (Barnard 77mins), Bourret; Myler (Lavery 53mins), Howard; Tonga'uiha, Richmond (Cortese 16-29mins, 54mins), Brooks, Browne, Lord (capt) (Percival 72mins), Rae, Lewitt, Hopley.
Argentina – Serra; Corleto, Gaitan, Senillosa (Fernandez 31mins), Carballo (Agulla 75mins); Fernandez Miranda, Vergallo (Lopez Fleming 75mins); Roncero (Vernet Basauldo 64mins), Gambanini, Bonorino (Gomez 64mins), Aroceno, Albacete (capt), Creevy, Ostglia (Genoud 64mins), Fessia.
Scorers:
Northampton Saints – Tries: Browne; Hopley; Cons: Bourret (2); Pen: Bourret.
Argentina – Tries: Serra, Carballo (2), Agulla; Con: Fernandez: Pens: Serra, Fernandez (5).
Attendance: 8,592
Travis Perkins man of the match:
Juan-Martin Fernandez
Stopwatch report:
7mins Serra pen miss 0-0
21mins Serra pen miss 0-0
27mins Bourret pen 3-0
29mins Miranda DG 3-3
34mins Bourret pen miss 3-3
39mins Serra pen 3-6
40+1mins Fernandez pen 3-9
40+4mins Fernandez pen 3-12
Half-time 3-12
43mins Fernandez pen 3-15
44mins Hopley yellow card
45mins Fernandez pen 3-18
48mins Bourret pen miss 3-18
51mins Browne try 8-18
53mins Bourret con 10-18
55mins Serra try 10-23
56mins Fernandez con 10-25
59mins Carballo try 10-30
60mins Fernandez con miss 10-30
68mins Albagete yellow card
69mins Hopley try 15-30
70mins Bourret con 17-30
73mins Carballo try 17-35
74mins Fernandez con miss 17-35
79mins Agulla try 17-40
80mins Fernandez con miss 17-40
Full-time 17-40
