Argentina beats Scotland 9-6

Image Source:telegraph.co.uk EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) -Argentina brought Scotland back to earth with a familiar thump when the Pumas won their rugby test 9-6 on Saturday and extended their unbeaten run at Murrayfield to a decade. A week after watching Australia miss a last-minute conversion for a first win over the Wallabies in 27 years, Scotland's luck ran out when center Martin Rodriguez landed a winning drop goal two minutes from the end to cap the Pumas' second-half comeback. 

"We have the ability to win any game but also, as seen today, we have the ability to lose any game,'' Scotland coach Andy Robinson said. For Argentina there was relief after losing to England and Wales on tour. The victory was only the Pumas' second in five tests this year. "We lost against England playing well but with some mistakes. Then we didn't play well against Wales,'' coach Santiago Phelan said. "This game was very important for us. To get a good result is very important for the continuity of this team.'' Scotland deservedly led 6-0 at halftime but two penalties from flyhalf Phil Godman were scant reward for the home side's domination. 

Godmann kicked his first in the 14th minute and the other four minutes before halftime, and in between he missed two other penalty attempts as Argentina was frequently penalized at the breakdown by referee Alan Lewis. Two potential tries in 40 minutes of enterprise were also blown as Scotland appeared on the cusp of its first autumn sweep in seven years. Out of the interval, the Pumas came out a different side, willing to attack more, and Scotland errors suddenly multiplied. 

Thee Pumas hassled at the breakdowns, and Scotland's composure was rattled further when lock Nathan Hines was sent to the sinbin for a spear tackle on winger Federico Martin Aramburu. Rodriguez halved Argentina's deficit with a 50th-minute penalty, and nine minutes later his second penalty tied the score. In the 66th, the center, who has scored all of Argentina's points in its three autumn tests, could have put his side ahead for the first time but he sent a long-range penalty wide. But he made no mistake in the 78th with his drop goal from right in front of the posts. Against top-tier opposition in its last two tests, Scotland didn't score a try. "What concerns me is our ability to finish,'' Robinson said. "We need to keep the scoreboard ticking over and we didn't do that. We came up against a very brave Argentine defense - the swamped and suffocated us in the last 20 minutes.'' Source:cnn.com

Sexton kicks Ireland to win over South Africa; Argentina, New Zealand and Italy also win

LONDON — New Zealand overwhelmed France 39-12 to stay unbeaten on its European tour Saturday, while Jonathan Sexton kicked Ireland to a 15-10 win over South Africa and Australia rebounded from last week's shock loss to Scotland to crush Wales 33-12. 

Thee All Blacks scored five tries through Sitiveni Sivivatu, Mils Muliaina, Jerome Kaino, Cory Jane and Conrad Smith and kept the French scoreless in the second half. It was the fourth straight match that the All Blacks had not conceded a try after previous wins over Wales, Italy and England. In fact, New Zealand hasn't conceded a try in Europe since its World Cup quarter-final loss to France two years ago. Fly-half Daniel Carter added 14 points with two penalties and four conversions. 

Sextonn landed five of his seven kicks to justify his selection ahead of record scorer Ronan O'Gara and give Ireland a third straight win over the world champion Springboks, completing an unbeaten year for the Six Nations champion. Stung by its 9-8 defeat to the Scots, Australia scored three tries in the opening 25 minutes to set up its biggest win in Cardiff since 1991. There was less excitement at Murrayfield, where Martin Rodriguez struck a late drop goal to give Argentina a 9-6 victory over Scotland, while Italy beat Samoa 24-6 for its first victory in 14 matches. 

Althoughh the Irish struggled to get the try their pressure merited, Sexton succeeded with enough of his penalties for a win that was clinched when captain Brian O'Driscoll halted a late South Africa attack with a crunching tackle. South Africa did score the only try of the match through Schalk Burger but was lucky to keep 15 men on the field for the whole game as its discipline crumbled under pressure. South Africa heads home with only a win over Italy to show from four tests. Ireland dominated South Africa in the second half to overturn a 10-6 halftime deficit, taking about two thirds of possession and three quarters of the territory to force the World Cup holder into elementary errors. 

Lockk Andries Bekker was lucky to stay on the field when he dropped his knee and forearm on a grounded opponent, and Sexton struck the resulting penalty to put Ireland 12-10 in front. "We see it as a blessing that we have a world-class fly-half and an up-and-coming fly-half," Ireland coach Declan Kidney said. "We'll need both of them. "We finished the series with a win, which is good for confidence, and we're looking forward to coming back for the Six Nations." Digby Ioane, James Horwill and David Pocock touched down as Australia eased into an early 20-6 lead at Millennium Stadium. "Last week we played too conservative," Australia fly-half Matt Giteau said. 

"We thought we may as well go out there and throw the ball around. We had nothing to lose." Wales fly-half Stephen Jones kept his team in the game with two more penalties, but Giteau kept scoring at the other end and replacement Tatafu Polota-Nau rounded off a sweeping attack for Australia's fourth try late on. Giteau, who missed a last-minute conversion that would have beaten Scotland, won the man-of-the-match award with 13 points and some sparkling open play. He had already put the Wallabies ahead with the first of his three penalties when Ioane touched down in the eighth minute. Restored to the side at centre after recovering from a shoulder injury, Ioane got on the end of a kick from Giteau, who managed to get the ball away despite seeing a big tackle coming his way. Leigh Halfpenny kicked from halfway to trim the deficit to 8-3 but Horwill touched down in the corner after some slick passing in open play and Pocock stretched to place the ball over the line to make it 20-6. 

Australiaa withstood concerted pressure before moving play up to the other end. The ball was spread across field with two passes and Polota-Nau found the gap to go through and touch down. Scotland was on course for an unexpected sweep of November wins when it led 6-0 at halftime through two penalties from fly-half Phil Godman. But Argentina came back strongly and, after Rodriguez kicked two penalties to level the score, the centre dropped the winning goal in the 78th minute to clinch the Pumas' first test victory this month. 

Thee South Americans, who lost to England and Wales over the past two weekends, maintained its record of not having been defeated by Scotland at Murrayfield since 1990. It was Scotland's first loss under new coach Andy Robinson. Luke McLean touched down for Italy in the first half at Ascoli Piceno, and referee Christophe Berdos awarded a penalty try in the closing minutes after Samoa continued to infringe at scrums on its line. Mirco Bergamasco added eight points with two penalties and a conversion, while Craig Gower kicked a penalty and scrum-half Tito Tebaldi slotted a second-half drop goal. The result moves Italy above Samoa into 11th in the International Rugby Board rankings, with Samoa slipping to 12th. It was Italy's first win since they beat Argentina in Cordoba 17 months ago. Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g9ul1eQENOg1zOwx0O5THf8DVGVg

Vatican meets with Presidents of Argentina and Chile to commemorate 25 years of 'peace and friendship' treaty

Vatican City, Nov 29, 2009 / 11:30 am (CNA).- In an audience with the Presidents of Argentina and Chile yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI praised the work of the two countries in reaching and upholding a lasting agreement through peaceful negotiation. The Pontiff said that the Catholic Church, "following Christ who brought peace to the world, is fully dedicated to bringing about the aspirations of peace and harmony in all of humanity."

The Holy Father hosted the Presidents in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, marking the first time a Pope has met with two female presidents from traditionally Catholic countries at the same time. Also present were Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.

The Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and Argentina was designed to resolve a longstanding dispute between the two nations regarding the land and seas at the southernmost tip of the South American continent. In a time of great tension between the neighboring countries, episcopates from both sides called for Pontifical mediation to avoid armed conflict. Pope John Paul II, in his "untiring labor as messenger and architect of peace, didn't hesitate to accept this delicate and crucial task," said Pope Benedict yesterday.

In his address to the Presidents, the Pontiff put great emphasis on the positive results of reaching a "decent, reasonable, and impartial solution, thereby avoiding armed conflict..." This historic accomplishment, he continued, has contributed to the mutual benefit of the countries, by reinforcing "feelings of fraternity" manifested in the common successes of the two through "cooperation and integration."

Pope Benedict XVI also called the relationship between two nations the "fruit, in great part, of the Catholic tradition" and praised them as "brothers with a common vocation of fraternity, respect and friendship."

This treaty, said the Holy Father, is a "luminous example of the force of the human spirit and of the will of peace in face of the barbarity and injustice of violence as a way to resolve differences," and, he added, it has been a model for other Latin American countries.

On the need for non-violent resolution, he referenced the words pronounced by Pope Pius XII at the beginning of World War II, "Nothing is lost with peace. Everything can be lost with war."

The Holy Father also included in the address an appeal to "those called to serve citizens, from the highest levels of national governments," asking them to maintain "firm moral conviction" in "the constant search for the common national, regional, and global good."

The achievement of peace, he concluded, "requires the promotion of an authentic culture of life, that respects the dignity of the human being fully, united to the strengthening of the family as a basic cell of society. It also requires the fight against poverty and corruption, access to quality education for everyone, solidarity in economic growth, the consolidation of democracy, and the eradication of violence and exploitation, especially against women and children."

Source:catholicnewsagency.com