Agustín Creevy may have been denied the result he would have wanted to mark his 100th cap on Saturday but no one can take anything from what the Argentina talisman has achieved in the famous light blue and white hoops.
At the age of 38, Creevy became the first Argentina player to reach the 100-cap milestone when he took to the field for last Saturday’s test against South Africa, a 24-13 defeat at the iconic Velez Sarsfield Stadium in his home city of Buenos Aires, where it all began.
In an international career spanning nearly two decades, Creevy proved to be a fitting successor to Mario Ledesma in the number two jersey having initially started his test career as a flanker.
With his strong set-piece and carrying game allied to his ability over the ball to effect turnovers, Creevy has been a force of nature not only for Argentina but also the Jaguares in Super Rugby, Biarritz, Clermont and Montpellier in France and Worcester and London Irish in England.
These are the numbers behind the international career of Los Pumas’ first member of the centurion club.
19 – The number of the first test jersey he wore, as a replacement flanker for Federico Genoud in a 68-36 win over Japan in Buenos Aires. It was a remarkable game in which Argentina only led 28-23 at the break.
71 – Minutes had passed by against South Africa last Saturday before Creevy came onto the field to create history. Argentinian fans hadn’t had much to get enthused about up until that point but his arrival as a replacement for Julián Montoya was greeted with rapturous applause.
6,678 – Days between that first cap some 18 years ago and his 100th. The fact the first was at the Buenos Aires Cricket and Rugby Club and the 100th was played in front of a much larger audience at the Velez Sarsfield Stadium highlights just how much Los Pumas’ popularity has grown during his career.
5 – The number of starts Creevy had in his first 32 caps as he patiently bided his time to become Argentina’s first-choice hooker.
49 – Creevy’s record number of tests as Argentina’s captain. Creevy overtook Lisandro Arbizu as Los Pumas’ most-experienced leader when he wore the armband in a 45-34 defeat to Australia at Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena in Salta in October 2018.
30 – Number of wins in an Argentina jersey. Creevy started Argentina’s first-ever win in The Rugby Championship (21-17 v Australia in 2014) and was also present from the start the following year as Los Pumas chalked up their one and only win to date against the Springboks in South Africa. Another notable success he was involved in was the record- RWC 2015 quarter-final win against Ireland in Cardiff. He was absent, however, when Argentina beat New Zealand in New Zealand for the first time in August 2022.
17 – The number of times he has faced Australia, his most frequent opponent. New Zealand and South Africa, Argentina’s other Rugby Championship rivals come next on 16, while he has only got to double figures in terms of appearances against one other nation – Scotland (11).
4 – Tries scored. It took Creevy 10 years to cross for his first test try and then two came at once, in a 39-18 loss to New Zealand in Christchurch in July 2015. Another two years passed before he scored again, against Georgia, while his fourth test try came against the All Blacks in round one of this year’s Rugby Championship.