Argentina player ratings: ‘Captain’s performance’ from Julian Montoya as pack dominates Wallabies
Julian Montoya and Marcos Kremer in action for Argentina.
Following a 28-26 victory over the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship clash at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the Argentina.
15 Juan Cruz Mallia: Certainly more influential this weekend as he played a key role in bringing his team-mates into the game, whether with ball in hand or via his kicking game. Is also a running threat himself but his best work was the little touches in attack. 7
14 Rodrigo Isgro: Back in the team after missing the past two Rugby Championship matches and he was typically excellent. His aerial work put the Wallabies under pressure and he stretched his legs on a few occasions. 7
13 Lucio Cinti: Part of a very effective midfield partnership, even if his impact with ball in hand was limited. Was very solid defensively and imparted himself when he could in attack. 7
12 Santiago Chocobares: Physical on both sides of the ball and utterly committed, as evidenced by his tackle on Taniela Tupou which left him worse for wear. Recovered from that to produce a super effort. 7
Both Carreras’ in the thick of the action
11 Mateo Carreras: Was very lively in Townsville but was even better this weekend and consistently made ground in tight spaces. Carreras might be short in stature but he is remarkably strong in contact. 8
10 Santiago Carreras: Running game was fantastic, as well as his ability to link play, create opportunities and kick goals. However, like last weekend, he struggles to take control when momentum starts to shift and his yellow card was stupid. 7
9 Gonzalo Garcia: Another fine performance from the scrum-half, whose box-kicking gave his chasers a chance to compete while his service was slick. They missed Garcia when he went off. 8
8 Joaquín Oviedo: There were a few more barnstorming carries in Sydney but his influence reduced in the final quarter as the Wallabies got back into the contest. 6
Huge shift
7 Marcos Kremer: A massive shift from the flanker, who was everywhere in defence and absolutely brutal in contact. Generally kept his discipline, too, as the Argentinian pack very much got the better of their opponents. 9
6 Juan Martín Gonzalez: Immense for 50 minutes and it was somewhat of a surprise that he was taken off, despite Pablo Matera being a brilliant replacement on paper. They had lineout issues once Gonzalez was off the field. 8
5 Pedro Rubiolo: Another fine effort by the lock, who continues to develop nicely at the highest level. Just 22, Rubiolo looks like he will be a star for Argentina. 7
4 Guido Petti: Went 50 minutes and put himself about before being replaced. Petti isn’t quite at his best at the moment, but he is still getting through plenty of work. 6
3 Joel Sclavi: Scrummaged solidly while there were also some big carries in the loose as Argentina dominated the gain line in the first half half. 6
Captain’s performance
2 Julián Montoya (c): An absolutely mammoth performance from the captain yet again. Charged down Tane Edmed and showed impressive pace to score a try before being a beast at the breakdown. Incredible from the skipper. 9
1 Mayco Vivas: Like Sclavi, the set-piece gave them a platform to attack from without truly being on the front foot. Vivas also contributed plenty in the loose. 6
Replacements: They are not quite getting it right with the bench at the moment. Credit to the relatively callow props, who held their own in the set-piece, but Los Pumas faltered elsewhere. You can’t really doubt too many Matera does and in most aspects he was immense, but the lineout was an issue when he replaced Gonzalez. Behind the scrum, Agustin Moyano failed to put his stamp on the game with his poor kicking allowing the Wallabies to counter-attack. 4
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