The defining image of this thrilling quarter-final will be of Nicholas Sanchez perfectly reading Sam Costelow’s no-look pass to race away under the posts to secure Argentina’s passage to the last four. In truth, Wales had thrown victory away long before Costelow’s intercept.

At 10-0 up with just a couple of minutes remaining in the first half, Wales had a foot if not most of their leg in the semi-finals. Warren Gatland’s message to his side all week was that “we’re not ready to go home” and they will be haunted by how they did not kill the game off in the first half before Argentina struck with two tries in the final 12 minutes.

At the final whistle, Wales’ players had their heads in their hands, unsure whether to avert their gaze from the riotous South American celebrations on the pitch and in the stands where a topless Emiliano Boffelli was seen waving his shirt over his head.

No team thrives off momentum more than Argentina. With their tails up, the Pumas are a dangerous beast, but as England demonstrated in their opening round 27-10 victory scoreboard pressure can render them clawless kittens. Wales too were in a position to take the game away from Argentina after Dan Biggar, playing his final international Test, had scored a beautifully worked try, feeding George North before gathering Gareth Davies’ offload, as well as adding a conversion and penalty.