Argentina player ratings: Emiliano Boffelli and Marcos Kremer fire Pumas into World Cup semis

Dylan Coetzee
Argentina stars celebrate their quarter-final win in the Rugby World Cup against Wales.

Argentina stars celebrate their quarter-final win in the Rugby World Cup against Wales.

Following Argentina’s dramatic 29-17 win over Wales in the first Rugby World Cup quarter-final, here are our ratings for Los Pumas.

15 Juan Cruz Mallia: Another useful shift from the full-back who has been magnificent throughout the competition. He was astute in how he patrolled the backfield and contested well enough in the air. 6

Golden boot

14 Emiliano Boffelli: His goal-kicking performance did not start the best with an early miss, but massive credit to the wing, who was dead on for the rest of the game, including a 55-metre monster penalty just after the break that swung the momentum of the game. All of Los Pumas’ big wins come when he plays well. Masterful. 9

13 Lucio Cinti: The young star was called on for his booming boot on a couple of occasions whilst he carried well otherwise and notched up an impressive eight tackles. His athleticism gives the Argentine midfield a different edge on both sides of the ball. 7

12 Santiago Chocobares: The robust centre looked good whilst he was on the park but unfortunately suffered an injury in the first half and was forced off the field. N/A

11 Mateo Carreras: Not quite the kind of game tailor-made for a smaller hot-stepping wing, but that did not stop him from getting stuck in where possible. The wing even managed a crucial breakdown steal in his red zone in the first period. 6

General Carreras

10 Santiago Carreras: Did not quite get into the game during the first period but still had some great touches. However, in the second half, the pivot started kicking more and with purpose, earning his team territory and putting pressure on the Welsh. It was the kind of performance that underlines the remarkable intelligence of the fly-half. 8

9 Tomas Cubelli: Drafted into the side after not much game time during the tournament and managed well for the most part. He had to deal with messy rucks and clever Welshmen at the breakdown. Kicked decently in a good effort. 7

Back-row brilliance

8 Facundo Isa: A barnstorming effort from the number eight, who put his hand up to carry the ball time and again, notching up 13 on the day before leaving the field in the second period. Stepping in for the great Pablo Matera is a difficult task, and the star man can be proud of his efforts. 8

7 Marcos Kremer: Gladiator comes to mind when thinking of his performance. The flank stood up physically and led his team in that regard throughout, making a team-high 13 tackles. He also won a steal at the breakdown around carrying like a man possessed. A night to remember. 9

6 Juan Martin Gonzalez: Shifted to the flank this week with ease as he dug in for a hard-working shift. Perhaps a bit more quiet than his back-row partners, but did his job well for the most part. 7

5 Tomas Lavanini: One of the go-to carriers for his team and a class operator in the line-out with one steal. Was busy otherwise in a promising shift. 7

4 Guido Petti: One of the standouts in the pack, making an impressive 10 tackles whilst winning a game-high two steals at the breakdown. He was a bit lucky not to be further punished for a high shot on Nick Tompkins. Nevertheless, a great effort. 8

3 Francisco Gomez Kodela: The tighthead kept it clean during this clash, adding to the physical charge whilst not giving much away at scrum-time. He would have wanted to get to more tackles. 6

2 Julian Montoya: Simply outstanding again. The consistency of the skipper is so impressive that players around him get an extra lift from him leading by advance. He is an extremely important cog in the Argentine machine. Eight tackles and constant nibbling away at the breakdown underline just how busy the hooker was. 8

1 Thomas Gallo: The loosehead fits the modern mould of a prop through his mobility and game awareness whilst not giving much away in the scrum. 12 carries, and six tackles paint a clear picture of hard work from the big man. 8

Power finish

Replacements: Three of the biggest moments for Los Pumas came from their replacements. Crucially, centre Matias Moroni threw himself at the flying Louis Rees-Zammit to prevent an almost certain try. Meanwhile, Joel Sclavi was on hand to barge over and give his team five more points. However, perhaps the moment of them all was seeing the veteran Nicolas Sanchez find the last bit of pace in his battle-worn legs to score under the posts and secure the win. 9

READ MORE: Argentina fight back to break Wales hearts in Rugby World Cup quarter-final

Argentina Emiliano Boffelli Marcos Kremer