The Hand of God is alive and well and was spotted at Leicester on Sunday waving Argentina through to a World Cup quarter-final in Cardiff, most likely against Ireland.
High in the West stand of Leicester City FC’s stadium, not the rugby ground across the way, Diego Maradona, slightly fuller of face than when clubs twice paid world-record transfer fees for his services, enjoyed himself immensely, jumping up and down as the Pumas ran in five tries.
Maradona, wearing a blue cap and a pale-blue-and-white scarf, was seated dangerously close to a knot of large and vocal Tongans. But as he had done in the past, the 54-year-old rose above the bigger men around him.
The downside was that, although Argentina got their bonus point, they never really shook off a Tonga side who need to finish at least third in the group to qualify directly for Japan in 2019.
Maradona was in Paris when Argentina reached the semi-finals in 2007. On Sunday he watched another player who wears the No10 shirt, Nicolas Sánchez, lay the foundations for the victory with his passing and tactical kicking before finally putting the game beyond Tonga with the third try of the afternoon, dummying and fending his way to the line.
The captain, Agustín Creevy, said Maradona visited the Pumas’ dressing room after the game and danced with the squad to Rodrigo Bueno’s song The Hand of God, written in the former footballer’s honour.
“He said the whole of Argentina was dreaming with us and everyone was behind us and supporting us. He was here because he wanted to be a part of this. We sung and danced and it was lots of fun,” Creevy said. “For me Maradona was always the best player in history and it was a very nice surprise to have him visit us. There were videos, he took two shirts, he gave us one of his shirts as well and gave us a speech.
“He said if we reach the semi-final he will be there. He has set us a very high goal and we hope he will be there again.”
With four conversions and four penalties on top of his try Sánchez contributed 25 points and confirmed there is more to this Argentina side than those teams that have depended on a big pack, a mighty scrum and route-one rugby. After seven tries against Georgia five against dogged Tonga is not to be sniffed at but, with a little more precision, it could have been many more.
The Tongans were left smarting from the penalties their veteran fly-half, Kurt Morath, missed. “We missed five kicks,” said their captain, Nili Latu, refusing to spare his kicker’s blushes.
“We came into this game believing we coould win. At half-time we were in the game, but our composure let us down. We scored early points and them gave them away.”
Ahead lies the Tongan’s final game, against the All Blacks, still favourites to retain their title. “We are a really tight group and that’s the positive for us and our country as well,” said Latu. “It’s still an exciting time for Tonga Rugby. There’s hope, there’s life.” Maybe.
For Argentina, who ran the All Blacks close for 60 minutes, the immediate future looks brighter.
Ahead lie Namibia, a game when their coach, Daniel Hourcade, can rest the bumps and bruises picked up in a game which was always going to be extra-physical, if only because the two teams had never previously met.
Somehow these two sides had played close on 200 years of rugby between them and – collectively – been to 13 World Cups without their packs locking horns. After four minutes a positive frisson ran round Leicester City’s ground when Creevy fumbled the pass from Sánchez and Jaco Peyper signalled it was time to engage.
Nothing proved conclusive, Elvis Taione hooking the ball back before he and the rest of the Tonga front row followed it. But Tonga were on the front foot and about to score.
The lock Lua Lokotui, centre Siale Piutau and full back, Vunga Lilo, got as far as the left corner and when the ball came back across the face of the Argentinian posts a little dummy from Morath created enough space for the veteran of four World Cups to dive in.
Needless to say he missed the conversion and, bit by bit, reality started to kick in with Argentina scoring 14 points in two minutes, which so animated Maradona that a posse of photographers turned their lenses away from the on-field action.
First the big second-row Guido Petti pounded a path to within 10 yards of the line, paving the way for Joaquín Tuculet to make the score while the Racing wing Juan Imhoff sent the whole of Tonga the wrong way with a side step, dotting down beneath the post to make Sánchez’s conversion as easy as the previous one had been touch-line difficult.
It could have been worse had Marcos Ayerza’s floated pass to wing to the right wing, Santiago Cordero, not drifted forward; but when Sánchez added a penalty to his two conversions the lead began to look ominous. Not that Tonga were deterred.
Morath at last landed a penalty which inspired another bout of frenetic attacking and the best move of the half produced the best try of the game with the fly-half and his inside centre, Sione Piukala, doing the spadework before the wing Telusa Veainu, flicked the ball inside on the point of being bundled into touch. And who should be rumbling along inside to score the try – none other than the former Northampton prop Soane Tonga’uiha.
Argentina Tuculet; Cordero, Moroni (Fosita, 70) De La Fuente , Imhoff (Agulla, 58); Sánchez, Landajo; Ayerza (Paz, 65), Creevy (capt; Montoya, 65), Herrera (Orlandi, 65), Petti (Alemanno, 65), Lavanini, Matera, Lobbe, Senatore (Isa, 51).
Tries Ticulet, Imhoff, Sánchez, Montoya, Cordero. Cons Sánchez 4. Pens Sánchez 4 .
Tonga Lilo (Halaifonua, 71); Veainu, Piutau, Piukala (Fosita, 50), Vainikolo; Morath, Takulua (Fisilau, 71); Tonga’uiha (Taumalolo, 61) Taione (Lutui, 61), Aulika (Puafisi, 71), Lokotui, Tuineau (Mafi, 67), Kalamafoni, Latu (capt), Ma’afu (Fonua, 61).
Tries Morath, Tonga’uiha. Pens Morath 2.
Referee J Peyper (SA). Att 29,124.
