Player ratings: Argentina

OPINION: Los Pumas were rightly handed their flowers by Lions head coach Andy Farrell after their impressive 28-24 win over the touring side in Dublin.

Maybe not surprisingly, Argentina looked the far more united of the two sides and were good value for their win, with the scoreboard reflecting a razor-sharp counter-attacking game that the Lions struggled to contain.

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Ian Cameron rates the Argentina players:

1. Mayco Vivas – 6
Yellow carded for collapsing a maul that led to a penalty try, but had little choice in the moment. Held his own in a scrum that came under pressure but stuck to his task.

2. Julián Montoya – 7
The gnarly veteran never took a backward step. His leadership and breakdown work were influential as ever, even if the line-out wasn’t flawless.

3. Joel Sclavi – 6.5
Got away with a borderline clearout on Jac Morgan but carried effectively and kept the scrum steady despite some heat from the Ellis Genge.

4. Franco Molina – 7
The quiet workhorse of the pack. Carried in tight channels and hit his rucks. Contributed defensively as part of a resilient unit.

5. Pedro Rubiolo – 8
Physical and durable throughout. Put in some crunching tackles and held firm against the Lions’ second-half surge.

6. Pablo Matera – 7.5
Outshone by Oviedo but still influential. Came close to a try and imposed himself physically, particularly in the first half.

7. Juan Martín González – 8
Created Argentina’s second try with a sharp ruck intervention and was constantly sniffing for turnover chances. A key presence in broken play.

8. Joaquín Oviedo – 8.5
Thundered into Fin Smith’s face and was lucky just to concede a penalty for his troubles. Had the better of his back-row duel and carried with real menace.

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9. Gonzalo García – 7
Controlled the tempo with accurate box kicks and managed the backfield threat effectively. Rarely overplayed his hand, even though he lost the ball a few too many times.

10. Tomás Albornoz – 8.5
Pulled the strings with calm assurance. Nailed all his kicks and took his try with aplomb, punishing Lions’ indiscipline clinically.

11. Ignacio Mendy – 8.5
Electric footwork and great timing saw him burst through early for the opening try. Threatened with every touch.

12. Justo Piccardo – 6
Tidy on the ball, but a couple of missed reads in defence made life harder out wide. Still showed promise in his link play.

13. Lucio Cinti – 5
Came back on after an HIA in the final quarter, but truth be told, he struggled to contain the Lions’ outside backs all evening.

14. Rodrigo Isgro – 8
Kept Duhan van der Merwe honest all night. Defensively sound and produced a brilliant offload in the build-up to González’s try.

15. Santiago Carreras – 7
Showed occasional flashes in the backfield and linked well with his outside backs. A steady presence on a night when cohesion was key, even if there were a couple of turnovers in there, too.

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REPLACEMENTS:

16. Bautista Bernasconi – N/A
Not on long enough to rate.

17. Boris Wenger – N/A
Ditto.

18. Francisco Coria – 6.5
Came on to help stabilise the scrum late on. Got through some tight work without fanfare.

19. Santiago Grondona – 6.5
Offered fresh legs in the closing stages. Didn’t have standout moments, but helped close it out.

20. Joaquín Moro – 6
Got through a decent workload after coming on. Stuck to his defensive duties and supported the fringes well, though without any major standout moments.

21. Simón Benítez Cruz – 6
Added some spark and control late in the game as García tired.

22. Matías Moroni – NA
Departed injured soon after coming on.

23. Santiago Cordero – 8
Finished the game with a dazzling solo try that ultimately sealed the win. The most clinical player on the park when it mattered.