Los Pumas: The remarkable stats behind Pablo Matera’s perfect performance against All Blacks
Pablo Matera got heavily involved in the action against New Zealand
Los Pumas captain Pablo Matera produced a performance for the ages to inspire his side to a historic 38-30 win over the All Blacks on Saturday.
The flanker was excellent on both sides of the ball in their comeback victory and scored a rare perfect 10 in Planet Rugby’s player ratings by features editor Jared Wright.
His fingerprints were all over the victory against the All Blacks, and his gritty performance is more than reflected in his superb stats.
Workhorse in attack
First of all, let’s look at his attacking stats. He certainly took his fair share of the load for Los Pumas with ball in hand, racking up an impressive 37 metres off his 20 carries, or 1.85 metres per carry.
This might not seem brilliant on first viewing, but his carries were all into heavy traffic and he still managed to consistently drag his side over the gain-line, which helped them gain the upper hand in this particular area of the game.
WATCH: The bizarre play that helped Los Pumas beat the All Blacks
His passes also played into some decent tactics from Argentina in the tight too, as they utilised the tip options to break through the All Blacks line. Matera also reaped the rewards of this himself, as he managed to beat a defender.
Getting stuck into the defensive effort
It wasn’t just in attack where Matera shone. Like the rest of his back-row, he really threw himself into tackles. He made 11 of his 13 attempts, putting him at a nifty 84% success rate throughout the game.
Again, this might not seem like crazy numbers, but when you consider he does this under a heavy onslaught from the All Blacks’ powerhouse pack, it adds some extra spice to his stats.
Matera also chipped in with a clever turnover and overall was a menace at the breakdown as he and his fellow back-rowers deprived the All Blacks backline with quick ball, which in turn forced them under pressure.
Next time out
Argentina were largely predicted to finish bottom of the pile ahead of the Rugby Championship, but the victory in Wellington showed how much of a threat they can be.
Matera’s performance was a genuine metaphor for the industrious Pumas performance, and he will need to be on top form once again if they want to make it two from two in New Zealand.
His side now prepare for a tough visit to Eden Park – a venue the All Blacks haven’t lost at since 1994 – before two home ties against Australia in rounds three and four.