The two sides found themselves locked at 17 apiece late in the second half after the defending champions had a player sent off with a red card.
But in the end it was Santiago Vera Feld who was the hero for the holders, lifting Argentina over the line with a last-gasp try — much to the delight of the record crowd at Kai Tak Stadium.
Speaking to RTHK, Argentina captain Santiago Alvarez said it was difficult to describe his emotions in the final moments of the match, but he was elated to have pulled through.
“I don’t know what I was thinking on the field in that moment,” he said.
“I tried to give all the best for the team, for my [teammates]. We knew we [had one less player] on the field because of the red card… but I’m proud of this team and what we did inside the field. I think we showed [who] we are, and I don’t know if we played good or bad — but we played with love. We gave all for this team, so I’m very proud of my mates.”
The result sets up a semi-final clash on Sunday with Spain, who earlier prevailed over Australia.
The other last four clash will see New Zealand take on South Africa, who are vying for their first crown in the showpiece SAR tournament.
Meanwhile, in the women’s cup quarter-finals, reigning champions New Zealand kept up their respective title defence with a thumping 32-5 triumph over Spain behind a solid showing of international support at the stadium.
In the cup semi-finals on Sunday, the Black Ferns face Canada who came away with a dominant 19-7 victory over the United States to open quarter-final proceedings in the women’s draw.
