Rampant Pumas crush Namibia

12.30am

ARGENTINA 67 NAMIBIA 14


GOSFORD - Martin Gaitan grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Argentina rebounded from last week's defeat by Australia to crush Namibia 67-14 in World Cup pool A on Tuesday.

Despite fielding a second-string team, Argentina were far too strong for the Namibians, officially ranked as the worst team in the tournament, as they recorded their biggest ever World Cup win.

The Pumas ran in 10 tries to two, claiming maximum points to draw level with Ireland at the top of the group standings and stay in contention for a place in the quarter-finals.

Argentina dominated every facet of the game, scoring two pushover tries from scrums and being awarded two penalty tries as well as fixing the lineout problems that plagued them in their 24-8 loss to the Wallabies.

Namibia, who conceded an average of 62 points per match at the last World Cup, were left to feed off scraps of possession but made things harder for themselves by repeatedly coughing up the ball.

Their only points came from tries by centre Du Preez Grobler and halfback Hakkies Husselman and two conversions by first five-eighths Emile Wessels.

The Pumas led 27-7 at the interval after running in four quick tries, hooker Federico Mendez setting the tone when he strolled over untouched in the third minute at Central Coast Stadium.

Number eight Pablo Bouza grabbed the first of his two pushover tries in the 18th minute before inside centre Juan Fernandez Miranda grabbed the third when he charged on to a perfectly timed pass from first five-eighths Gonzalo Quesada.

Argentina secured their bonus point when Welsh referee Nigel Williams awarded a penalty try six minutes before the break after the Namibians collapsed a scrum.

Gaitan scored three tries in the second half, Bouza got his second and halfback Nicolas Fernandez Miranda his first. Williams also awarded a second penalty try and Quesada, the leading pointscorer at the 1999 World Cup, kicked seven goals and a penalty for a personal tally of 17 points.

Things could have been worse for the Namibians had it not been for some desperate defence by flanker Schalk van der Merwe, who once fought a lion with his bare hands to save his sister's favourite baboon from being eaten alive.

Argentina - Tries: Federico Mendez, Pablo Bouza (2), Juan Fernandez Miranda, Martin Gaitan (3), Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, penalty try (2).

Conversions: Gonzalo Quesada (7).

Penalty: Quesada

Namibia - Tries: Du Preez Grobler, Hakkies Husselman. Conversions: Emile Wessels (2)

Halftime: 27-7