Argentina looked set to spoil the Wallabies’ night in Townsville as they stormed into a 21–7 half-time lead, silencing the local crowd with two electric long-range tries.
Backed by a noisy travelling contingent, Los Pumas matched Australia’s physicality early and looked in control heading into the break. Yet as the game wore on, their discipline began to fray and the Wallabies’ relentless pressure eventually told.
Despite a late go-ahead penalty from Juan Cruz Mallía, Argentina were left heartbroken as Angus Bell crashed over in the 85th minute to snatch a dramatic 28–24 win for the hosts.
Here is how the Argentina players rated in their round three Rugby Championship clash.
1. Mayco Vivas – 7
Scrummed well early against Tupou and later contributed a big defensive effort with 17 tackles and two turnovers. Tireless in contact, though quieter with ball in hand.
2. Julián Montoya (c) – 7
The heartbeat of the pack. Made 15 tackles and kept his lineout steady under heavy Wallabies pressure. Led with composure, constantly in the referee’s ear without overstepping.
3. Joel Sclavi – 6.5
Solid set-piece presence and won a turnover in the first half. Added seven tackles but had little impact carrying.
4. Franco Molina – 6.5
Put in nine tackles and six carries, plus two lineouts. Grafted hard but didn’t bring the same intensity as his back-row teammates.
5. Pedro Rubiolo – 6.5
Massive defensive workload with 18 tackles and one lineout claim. Offered little in attack but a workhorse without the ball.
6. Juan Martín González – 7
An all-action presence defensively with 18 tackles and five lineout wins. Carried three times but impact came primarily in the air and at the breakdown.
7. Marcos Kremer – 9
A defensive machine. Topped the charts with 31 tackles and five carries, smashing everything in sight. Argentina’s answer to the Undertaker lived up to the billing.
8. Pablo Matera – 6.5
Eight tackles, six carries, and one offload. Showed glimpses of his trademark power but didn’t dominate. Played his part in defence, but discipline was an issue for the pack.
9. Gonzalo García – 6
Clean distribution with 44 passes, plus 14 tackles. Missed three tackles and lacked control under Wallabies pressure.
10. Santiago Carreras – 8
Kicked well, including an early long-range penalty. Carried 10 times for 46 metres, made three defenders miss, and notched a try assist. But faded late as Australia took control.
11. Mateo Carreras – 7.5
Dangerous whenever he had the ball. Racked up 75 metres from 11 carries, beat two defenders, scored a try, and produced an offload. Also put in five tackles.
12. Santiago Chocobares – 8
A constant threat in attack with 48 metres, one clean break, two defenders beaten and a crucial line that created Delguy’s try. Also made 15 tackles — a complete centre’s performance.
13. Lucio Cinti – 6.5
Carried well with 37 metres, produced two offloads, and beat one defender. Defensively a little shaky with only five tackles and three misses.
14. Bautista Delguy – 7.5
Alert to Chocobares’ break to finish off Argentina’s opening try. Made 14 tackles — impressive for a wing — and seven carries for 31 metres.
15. Juan Cruz Mallía – 8
Cool under pressure. Eight carries for 65 metres, a try assist, and a clutch penalty from distance in the 78th minute. Only one tackle, but his influence in attack was clear.
Replacements16. Ignacio Ruiz – 6
Chipped in with four tackles but couldn’t alter the momentum as the Wallabies went through the gears in the closing stages.
17. Boris Wenger – 5.5
Minimal involvement in open play with three tackles and two carries, but a strong showing at scrum time, which had the Wallabies pack under immense pressure.
18. Francisco Coria Marchetti – 5.5
Two tackles and three carries. Busy but limited in open play, similar to Wenger, he had a powerful performance at scrum time.
19. Guido Petti – 6.5
Eight tackles, 17 metres from four carries, and one lineout claim. Brought energy but not a game-changer.
20. Joaquín Oviedo – 6.5
Nine tackles, three carries and one offload. Showed aggression, but was not always disciplined.
21. Agustín Moyano – 6
12 passes, three tackles and one turnover. Tried to speed things up but lacked control.
22. Gerónimo Prisciantelli – 6.5
One offload, two defenders beaten, and a turnover won. Looked creative in flashes but had little time to influence.
23. Benjamín Elizalde – 6
Nine tackles and three carries. A solid cameo, though the impact was minimal.
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