In Nantes, a spirited Chile said farewell to the World Cup as Argentina set up a tantalising shootout final group game with Japan, courtesy of a BP win and seven superb tries scored.

Argentina knew nothing less than a victory would suffice if they were to maintain qualification hopes going into their final group game with Japan next weekend.

But it was Chile who began brighter, Santiago Videla smashing a long-range penalty just shy of the posts inside only three minutes.

Concluding a debut campaign on a major tournament stage, Chile were then having to defend, Nicolas Sanchez pulling the strings for Argentina from fly half on his centurion of caps.

So, fittingly, the opening score came via Sanchez, a sharp line break on the right flank, a nifty one-two with winger Rodrigo Isgro freeing Sanchez to sprint into the corner, a superb touchline conversion taking his tournament tally to ten and Argentina off to a flyer.

Sanchez slotted a penalty to increase that haul as Chile struggled to settle.

Before the twenty-minute mark, Los Pumas had further away as they kicked to the corner, Agustin Creevy’s throw to the lineout was good and Chile had no answers to a steady, well conducted rumbling maul, back rower, Juan Martin Gonzalez the man over the whitewash.

An extra two points from Sanchez made it 17-0 and a long way back, already, for Chile.

Indeed, a rampant Argentina swiftly notched their third try, the experienced Creevy dotting off another rampant maul drive to score in the corner, Sanchez landing a fourth successful kick of the day.

Not everything went for Michael Cheika’s men though, Igros sin binned for a high tackle on Rodrigo Fernandez, earning him ten minutes on the sideline.

Facundo Isa almost bagged the bonus point before half time, the number eight surging through only to be denied a clean grounding by superb defence from Inaki Ayarza.

Under the Nantes sunshine, Ayarza accelerated up field but became isolated as Chile’s most threatening attack fizzled out.

Six minutes after the interval, the bonus point was secured for Los Pumas, Juan Imhoff jinking forward and finding full-back, Martin Bogado, who on debut, scythed straight through a scattered defence for try number four, Sanchez’s conversion taking them past thirty.

Chile thought they had ended their wait for a try after being held scoreless by England when hooker, Augusto Bohme, burst over from a lineout but the TMO disallowed it for a forward pass from Clemente Saavedra, much to the chagrin of the many Chile fans inside the stadium.

Redemption though went the way of Isgro, gliding inside and applying the speed to score under the sticks, Sanchez bagging himself a fifth conversion of the day to make it 38-0.

The sixth try swiftly followed, Gonzalez getting it having been found in acres of space out wide, the flanker furrowing in for his second try, bagging a brace as Sanchez landed a superb sixth conversion to take his tally to fifteen for the day.

Seven minutes from the end though, Chile bowed out in style, replacement hooker, Tomas Dussailant bundling the ball over the line to cue passionate celebrations all over, consolation for the disallowed try earlier in the half.

Cheika’s men however finished with a flourish as their squad depth told, replacement hooker Ignacio Ruiz powering over and Sanchez’ replacement, Santiago Carreras converting.

The substitute fly half went one better to round off proceedings, galloping in for try number seven, which he himself converted to complete the contest, 59-5.

This BP win sets up a shootout winner-takes-all tie against Japan next Sunday for Argentina, both sides knowing that a victory there will see them advance out of the group, into the last eight.

Chile’s debut World Cup ends here, but they will hope to be back, having provided some sparkly moments across their four games.

For the Pumas, a perfect way to proceed into their make-or-break clash with Japan, here in Nantes, again next Sunday, qualification for both at stake.