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Michael Cheika refused to assess the entirety of Argentina’s Rugby World Cup campaign or his tenure as head coach of the Pumas games
Coming off a harrowing 44-6 semi-final defeat to New Zealand in which they’d been totally outclassed in every facet of the game, perhaps his reticence was understandable games
Next Friday’s third-place play-off against the loser of the second semi-final games between England and South Africa merely provided a handy excuse games
It’s a game that players don’t want to play, spectators don’t want to watch and media don’t want to cover but it did give Cheika a week’s buffer to collect himself before he will have to answer the tough questions games
“I can’t do that straight away,” said Cheika when asked to assess his time in charge of Argentina, which comes to an end after this World Cup games
“I haven’t finished yet games
“I know we won’t win World Cup but I’m happy to be at this level and they deserve to be here games
Their play, ambition, ability to raise themselves after the first game [a pool-stage loss to England] games
It’s another obstacle but we can be proud of our team and our capacity to deal with obstacles games
Next week we have a game to play, at the end of the World Cup we will summarise and assess it games
”The players were similarly on message with their adamance at the importance of the worst game in rugby games
“There is one more game left, one more final,” said flanker Marcos Kremer games
“We want to leave this World Cup winning and we are going to do everything to make it happen games
”“We are going to prepare like a final games
We are not satisfied with being here games
We want a medal and we are going to fight for that," added wing Mateo Carreras games
The value of a third-place play-off in an event defined by a trophy, rather than a medal podium, and its place in an already over-saturated playing calendar is a debate for another time but the Pumas can only keep the wolf at the door for so long games
They will soon have to address exactly what happened in the second-most one-sided World Cup semi-final of all time – the eventual margin of defeat just narrower than the All Blacks’ 49-6 triumph over Wales in 1987 games
The All Blacks ran riot in the Stade de France (Getty Images)Three times in their rugby history, Argentina have reached the semi-final stage of the World Cup, with three losses to show for it games
They have scored just one try across those 240 minutes and have a combined losing margin of 76 points games
The celebrations and lap of honour after beating Wales in the quarter-finals in Marseille a week ago suggested that, deep down, the Pumas believed they had come as far as they could in this tournament games
Both history, and the performance that followed against New Zealand, made it a self-fulfilling prophecy games
They hardly imposed themselves on the All Blacks at the Stade de France games
Phases of attack came to a grinding halt once they reached the All Black 22, with the ball inevitably jackalled away, the defensive line was torn to shreds by their opponents’ quick hands and clever lines, the scrum was splintered by a dominant New Zealand pack and basic handling errors defined the game games
Frankly, it wasn’t a match befitting a World Cup semi-final and ensured the Pumas book-ended their tournament (barring next Friday’s bronze-medal irrelevance) with abject displays, after the lifeless opening loss to 14-man England games
It is hardly a squad bereft of talent games
The experience of Julian Montoya and Agustin Creevy leading the front row is complemented by an exciting, dynamic back-row trio of Juan Martin Gonzalez, Kremer and Facundo Isa that should be able to match almost any opposition games
While questions remain at nine and 10, a back three of Mateo Carreras, Emiliano Boffelli and Juan Cruz Mallia is explosive enough to give any team fits games
Argentina were dejected after slipping to a semi-final defeat (Getty Images)Perhaps a semi-final appearance shouldn’t be sneered at games
Yes, they benefitted from being in the considerably weaker half of the draw but it equalled their best World Cup performance and you can only beat who’s in front of you games
On paper, Cheika’s tenure – since taking the reins from the sacked Mario Ledesma in early 2022 – will be viewed as a success games
A first-ever win over the All Blacks in New Zealand last summer and a World Cup semi-final is not a bad return games
But in terms of the ‘eye test’, the Pumas never looked like an elite side and there’s a nagging feeling that they haven’t moved forward under the Australian games
Cheika’s preferred coaching style of creating a ‘siege mentality, us against the world’ environment always seemed at odds with the largely personable Argentina squad games
Media availability was limited – perhaps a poor fit for the historically open Pumas – and a bubble created around the team games
Putting your stamp on things in just an 18-month period is tough, with Felipe Contepomi always slated to become head coach after the World Cup and learning the ropes as part of Cheika’s coaching team in the interim games
The legendary Pumas fly half, who is also a cult hero at Leinster following playing and coaching spells there, will likely provide a different strategy in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup and it will be fascinating to see what he’s taken from his time working under Cheika games
As for the Australian, he departs with his reputation certainly not damaged and maybe even enhanced games
The 56-year-old will undoubtedly be in demand around the rugby world and should be able to have his pick from a number of exciting coaching opportunities games
“It is not a sad moment,” insisted Cheika in the aftermath of defeat in Paris games
“It’s a moment I’m proud of my team games
We were in the semi-final of a World Cup games
”Yes, they were games
But the suspicion that there was a version of this Pumas side that still had more to give remains games
More aboutMichael CheikaArgentina rugbyRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Argentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerThe All Blacks ran riot in the Stade de France Getty ImagesArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerArgentina were dejected after slipping to a semi-final defeat Getty ImagesArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerMichael Cheika led Argentina to a World Cup semi-final but they were trounced by New Zealand Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today games
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The unique 2024 Tour de France will begin in Florence and end with a potentially dramatic time-trail in Nice, as the race finishes outside Paris for the first time in its 120-year history while the capital focuses on the Olympic Games games
In another first, Italy will host the Grand Depart and the first three stages of the race, before an early climb into the Alps on stage four, from the Italian town of Pinerolo to Valloire in France games
The race will then head to the vineyards around Dijon, the Massif Central and over the Pyrenees, before returning to the French Alps and down to the Riviera for a finale against the clock, from Monaco to Nice games
The final section in the Alps is set for a stage 20 showdown on the Col de la Couillole (15 games
7km at 7 games
1 per cent average gradient), ahead of the first competitive 21st stage since 1989, as a time-trial replaces the traditional Parisian parade before a sprint on the Champs-Elysees games
“It’s difficult to replace Paris, so what games better scenery could we give than than a dazzling Monaco to Nice time-trial,” said race director Christian Prudhomme, at the route’s unveiling games
Of the stage-four ascent in the Alps, he added: “The Tour has never climbed so high, so early games
”The Tour de France Femmes will also break new ground when it begins abroad for the first time, with the first three stages to be held in the Netherlands games
And the women’s race is set for an eye-catching finish atop the iconic Alpe d’Huez games
Route of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes (letourfemmes)“We went to the Tourmalet last year, we wanted to go to iconic places and L’Alpe d’Huez is part of cycling’s history,” women’s Tour director Marion Rousse said games
“It’s the toughest stage in Tour de France Femmes history with 4,000m of altitude gain games
The stage also features the Col du Glandon, which I think is the hardest in France games
Women have proved they have the level for that games
”Eight of the men’s 21 stages are categorised as ‘flat’ days but in reality there are few clear-cut opportunities for the sprinters, something noted by Mark Cavendish after the Manxman, who will be 39 when the race rolls around, reversed his decision to retire earlier this month games
“It’s so hard,” Cavendish told reporters after assessing the route games
“I am actually in a bit of shock games
It might be the hardest route I’ve ever seen at the Tour de France games
”Geraint Thomas, a year younger than Cavendish, has signed a new two-year contract with Ineos Grenadiers, which he says is likely to be his last, and the 2018 yellow-jersey winner could feature in the race, although Ineos’s focus will be on younger riders like Tom Pidcock, who continues to balance his love of mountain biking with grand tour racing games
After a mixed performance at this summer’s Tour de France, Ineos will hope for a yellow-jersey challenge from one of their riders, most likely the young Spaniard Carlos Rodriguez, who finished fifth and has just signed a four-year contract extension, quashing rumours of a transfer away games
But he will face a difficult challenge once more, with reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard set to return as the man to beat games
Two-time winner Tadej Pogacar will among the favourites should he be fit and ready on the startline, while Belgian multiple world champion Remco Evenepoel is likely to make his Tour debut and four-time grand-tour winner Primoz Roglic is looking for a new team to lead games
“Could this herald a duel playing out games between two, three, or – let’s dream a little here – even four contenders?” Prudhomme said games
The men’s race will run from 29 June to 21 July games
The Olympics will begin five days after the Tour de France ends, and authorities did not want to stretch police resources in Paris, prompting the decision to finish on the south coast games
The women’s race will begin the day after the Games close, on 12 August, culminating in the Alps on 18 August games
More aboutTour De FranceTour de France FemmesTour de France 2024Tour de France Grand DepartJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/2Groundbreaking route revealed for 2024 Tour de FranceGroundbreaking route revealed for 2024 Tour de FranceRoute of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes letourfemmesGroundbreaking route revealed for 2024 Tour de FranceRoute map of the 2024 Tour de France, from Florence to NiceLeTour✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today games
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