The score returned by Cardiff’s glowing Millennium screens reflected not so much the development of the match as the state of the two teams. Pumas satisfied Its mission is to impose authority Welsh And start the November window victorious. Defeated by it 52-28However, it is an indication of the adverse circumstances that the two teams are going through and the weight of their individualities, and not an overwhelming superiority in the match. While the club is going through the worst crisis in its history, the Argentines are struggling to place themselves among the powerful. They didn’t play as a powerhouse, but they won as a powerhouse.
With glimpses of good rugby, solid defending and showing a great ability to capitalize on loose plays, the Pumas made up for the lack of fluidity that characterized most of the match. The Welsh, a proud rugby nation, were more dense in the touch area, adding to the excessive amount of fouls that prevented the Argentines from playing the game they intended.
Supporting seven tries, even without feeling comfortable on the field at any time, reflects the stature this Pumas team has achieved and the development they have shown in the last four years. Given that it is the first match on the European Tour, which presents very different challenges to the Rugby Championship in terms of the way matches are planned, it is understandable that there will be some glitches. It should be taken as such A starting point for improvement In the next two matches with increasing difficulty: Scotland next Sunday: next England.
Victory is too Essential to maintain sixth place in the world rankingsWhich will determine the seeds for the 2027 Australian Championship draw scheduled for December 3. Finishing in the top six will prevent you from sharing the group with another powerhouse. By winning by more than 15 points, the Pumas reached 84.30 and moved away from their pursuers who lost on Saturday: Australia (81.69), Scotland (81.21), Fiji (81.15); However, it is still far from fifth place, which currently lies in the hands of France (86.95).
One of the Pumas’ greatest qualities was hitting at the right moments. The famous Championship minutes. Six of the seven attempts came there. Two in the first 10 minutes, two at the end of the first quarter, one at the start of the second and one at the end of the game. The rest, midway through the second half, was an interception Geronimo Preciantellialmost identical to Nicolas Sanchez’s match the last time the two teams met, in the France 2023 quarter-finals in Marseille. The locals tried to throw the ball into the starting crowd that reads the number 10 perfectly and it ended up flying through the goal post.
In just his third appearance and second start for the Pumas, the flyhalf was deservedly named as Best player of the match. In addition to the try he backed up, he saved a try when he stopped Dan Edwards with a French tackle, who was running towards goal after crossing half the field in one of the team’s few defensive lapses. He has once again proven to be an effective replacement for Thomas Albornoz’s absence He has greater leadership skills than Santiago Carreras.
Back as a full-back, the Cordoba player shone once again, finding space on the counter-attack and with great effectiveness on the crossbars: eight hits on eight passes and he finished with 17 points. On the other hand, it was not a great match for midfielder Simon Benitez Cruz, who went from high to low and missed some passes towards the end.
The ninth was partly a victim of the Pumas’ difficulty in the bullpen. He has rarely been able to get to a quick, elegant ball, thanks to the greater substance Wales have shown in that side. Captain Jack Morgan was an absolute nightmare, until he went off injured midway through the second half. A fundamental aspect of the game that Felipe Contepomi advocates and which urgently needs to be corrected.
It was not a “clean” victory for Puma. Lots of handling errors, especially at the base of the barn. On the few occasions where they managed to string together several successive stages, they failed in the final metres. They had no less than 13 involvements in the last 22 metres, although there they committed two hits, and lost two balls in the foul, one caught in a hit and the other due to poor footwork.
Among the positive data It is worth highlighting the two kicks won with the scrum. A formation that was not dominant, but it was superior to its competitor. A good amount of aerial balls were also recovered, especially the work of Bautista Delgui. On the other hand, the back three were hesitant in that area of ​​defence: a few balls fell into no man’s land and were easily recovered by the Welsh.
Only five penalties were awarded by the Pumas, which is a very low number. The defensive system was one of the keys Of victory. However, it should be noted that three of them were in a row in a certain moment of confusion that ended in the third attempt of the local team.
The 50,185 spectators who provided a fantastic atmosphere to Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and were there to support their team will be satisfied with their team’s dedication. They also witnessed the performance of a team from another hierarchy. The Pumas did their part. From now on, they must improve at the rate of the degree of difficulty that awaits them.
Wales (28): Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Max Llewellyn, Ben Thomas and Josh Adams; Dan Edwards and Tomos Williams; Aaron Wainwright, Jack Morgan (c) and Alex Mann; Adam Bird and David Jenkins; Kiron Assirati, Lake Dewey and Reece Carré.
Coach: Steve Tandy.
Subs: ST 4m, Archie Griffin for Assiratti, Nicky Smith for Carre and Louis Rees-Zammit for Rogers; 14, Liam Belcher for Leek and Ollie Cracknell for Morgan; 24, Freddie Thomas for Wainwright and Jarrod Evans for Edwards; 35, Kieran Hardy for Williams.
Argentina (52): Santiago Carreras; Bautista Delgoy, Justo Picardo, Santiago Chocobarris, and Mateo Carreras; Geronimo Prisciantelli and Simon Benitez Cruz; Juan Martin Gonzalez, JoaquÃn Oviedo and Pablo Matera; Markus Kremer and Guido Petti Bajadizabal; Pedro Delgado, Julian Montoya (c) and Maico Vivas.
Coach: Felipe Contepomi.
Substitutions: ST 5m, Thomas Gallo instead of Vivas, Thomas Rapetti instead of Delgado; 6-18, Juan Cruz Mallia for S Carreras (temporary); 18, Santiago Grondona via Oviedo and Malia via Chocopares; 19, MatÃas Alemanno for Kremer and Rodrigo Isgro for M Carreras; 25, Agustin Moyano via Benitez Cruz; 26, Ignacio Ruiz, Montoya
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