Swallow dive that said Pumas had taken off

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful

- Brendan Gallagher

What’s happening here?

It’s Sunday October 18, 2015 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Argentina are playing Ireland in the World Cup quarter-final. It’s the 73rd minute and the Pumas wing Juan Imhoff, having scored a try in the first half, is scoring his second after sprinting onto a pass from Juan Martin Fernandez-Lobbe and putting the seal on a brilliant 43-20 win for the Argentinians as they reach their second semi-final in three tournaments. With the match over as a contest Imhoff launches into an exuberant Chris Ashton type dive to celebrate the occasion.

What’s the story behind the picture?

The morphing of Argentina into an exhilarating all-court team, shedding the inhibitions of previous years and allowing full expression to their excellent skills and athleticism.

It’s odd because Argentina have always possessed exciting, multiskilled backs. Leonardo Arbizu was one of the classiest centres of his era while the extravagantly gifted Marcello Rodriguez, an exact contemporary of the legendary Hugo Porta, looked set to change the future of Argentinian rugby when he was killed in a car crash one New Year’s Eve aged just 18.