16 October 2023 , 07:45
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When last Argentina made the Rugby World Cup semi-finals Agustin Creevy was captain and Diego Maradona their biggest cheerleader.
The football legend is no longer alive but eight years on from the 2015 tournament Creevy remains key to the spirit of a Pumas side back in the last-four.
On Saturday in Marseille his 13 minutes as a super sub transformed the game, Argentina demolishing a 17-12 Wales lead with 17 unanswered points.
It had his nation dreaming of a second World Cup in 10 months, following the Lionel Messi-inspired triumph in Doha, and Creevy wishing for another visit from football royalty.
"If Messi could now come we’d love that,” said Argentina’s most-capped rugby player. “But I don’t think so because he’s in Miami playing.
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“In 2015 Maradona was retired, it was easy for him to come and stay with us. He was the best player I could meet in my whole life. He sang with us, he made a speech, everything. It was really important for us.”
Creevy embraces the late Diego Maradona (above) and (below) gives him his jersey after Argentina's win over Tonga at 2015 World Cup (Getty)
(Getty)How Maradona would have loved the post-match party in France’s southern port city, where Vamos Vamos Argentina rang out late into the night.
Equally, the resolve of Michael Cheika’s underdog side that this is a stepping stone to a bigger prize.
“Nothing to lose? We have a lot to lose,” said Matias Moroni, whose spectacular try-saving tackle on Louis Rees-Zammit ended Welsh hopes.
Lionel Messi holds aloft FIFA World Cup after Argentina's triumph in Doha last December (AFP via Getty Images)“We want to play [in the final] on the 28th, we are in position to play the most important game for Argentina.”
New Zealand will have plenty to say about that but the Pumas have been a team on a mission since losing so tamely to 14-man England on the opening weekend.
“After that, we proposed to play each game as a final because if we lost we were going home,” said Moroni. “We’ve won the last four finals.”
Creevy (No.16): "Pumas is my life. My passion. Every decision of my life I give for this jersey” (AFP via Getty Images)Creevy added: “Our first game was bad but we never lost our mind, our focus. Pumas is my life. My passion. Every decision of my life I give for this jersey.”
Now 38, the 106-cap hooker says he plays with London Irish in his heart following the death of his club in June. He has since joined Sale.
Asked what he learned from Argentina’s last semi-final, lost to Australia in the first half, Creevy said: “Stay in the game all the time because you just never know.”
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The Pumas did that against Wales in front of their baying fans.
“A few years ago we could have lost,” he said. “But we kept going, we stayed in the game.”