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PARIS - Argentina had to work very hard for their 19-13 rugby World Cup quarter-final victory over Scotland on Sunday, a prize for a dedicated and committed Pumas squad, coach Marcelo Loffreda said.
He said, however, as he analysed the achievement that it could sound like that was the job done, when in fact the Pumas have to recover their energy for a semifinal against South Africa at the Stade de France next Sunday.
"For Argentine rugby, to have reached this stage is a great achievement, the fruit of many (Pumas) teams, much work, many people who have been involved," Loffreda told the post-match news conference.
"This group has succeeded in carrying through the greatest success (in the Argentine game). They deserve it for all the work they have put in," he said.
"That makes it sound like it's over, but it isn't. We have a match with the Springboks, and we all know what their strengths are, but we have obtained something that never before had been achieved."
Argentina, having controlled the match for a good hour and taken a 19-6 lead, tired badly and allowed Scotland, who scored a late try to move back within six points.
"We had the match well under control and then we lost that control," Loffreda said.
"We allowed Scotland to come back into the match when they had been practically out of it."
Loffreda said Argentina had to work on the mental aspect of their preparation for the match throughout the week, given the toughness of the Scottish team and the fact that the Pumas were considered favourites when they have thrived on adversity.
"I believe we managed to overcome that hurdle and that's a great merit of the players," he said.
"We had needed to be more disciplined, we had given away four penalties in the first, but with 15 minutes to go we started making errors, losing the ball in the mauls.
"That's where the mental fortitude of the team appeared and that was something we had been feeding (to the players) all this week."
Captain Agustin Pichot said: "We may not be the most technical team but we have done everything to leave a legacy, playing well, playing badly, with our hearts, with more than just the game.
"Argentina is not a (Juan Martin) Hernandez, a (Felipe) Contepomi or a Pichot. I don't know if this is the best generation (of Pumas) but it is the best team."
- REUTERS
