Pumas do just enough

It had been a dry week in Cardiff, rare for October, but the pitch cut up more than during the opening match between Wales and Argentina when it had rained for a fortnight.

Wales needed Japan to lose and Argentina to maintain their try shyness if they were to head the group and face Australia in the quarter-final in Cardiff on Saturday. Home advantage was made to count: the ball proved too slippery for Japan and players regularly lost their footing. Water worked.

It was a surreal evening. Argentina needed to score 69 points to dislodge Wales at the top of the group: a Japan victory would have given the pool to Samoa, whose players were watching in the stand, clapping every time the Japanese scored.

The Welsh supporters, who provided the majority of the 36,000 crowd, should have been rooting for the Pumas, but many of them sported Japanese flags and booed every time Gonzalo Quesada lined up a penalty.

There was never any danger that Argentina would score 69 points, or even the 48 that would have relegated Samoa into third place. With their focus on Wednesday's play-off against Ireland in Lens, the Pumas were not interested in an avalanche of points, just enough to insure against a Japanese victory. The boot of Quesada was mightier than the dash of their three-quarters. He kicked seven penalties on Saturday to take him to 21 in the tournament, in which he has scored 80 per cent of his side's points, a rate that would have been higher but for a stoppage-time try as Japan tried to attack from their own line.

Argentina were never in any danger of losing. They led 17-9 at half-time, but made the game safe only in the final quarter. The setpieces were even, but Japan dominated the loose phases only to be let down by their handling.

Wales, watching from their hotel, were relieved; so were Argentina. Their coach Alex Wyllie said: "We've got what we wanted. Playing Ireland on neutral territory is better than facing Scotland at Murrayfield or Australia in Cardiff."

Only Samoa, who narrowly lost to Australia last year, were disappointed, not forgetting Canada who would have qualified as the best third-placed team had Japan won.

Out of necessity, Japan showed enterprise but on a ground where last week Stephen Bachop produced a regal display at out-half for Samoa, he watched in dismay as his brother Graeme, Japan's only player with genuine tactical acumen, missed a tackle on Agustin Pichot that led to Argentina's opening try.