Player ratings: Pumas' heartbreak hotel
Argentina held on, bravely, for almost 70 minutes before succumbing to a late England rally in their opening World Cup match in Dunedin on Saturday.
In a brutal arm-wrestle – which saw key playmakers Felipe Contepomi and Gonzalo Tiesi leave the field with injuries in the first half – a Ben Youngs try in the 68th minute broke the Puma hearts.
But there were plenty of heroes in a brave Puma performance.
Jan de Koning rates the Argentinean players!
15 Martin Rodriguez:
Had a few decent runs and one great linebreak. However, he kicked just two out of seven at goal – a shocking performance.
4/10
14 Gonzalo Camacho:
He had some really strong runs, breaking tackles almost at will and made good ground. He was often seen helping out at the breakdown as well.
7/10
13 Gonzalo Tiesi:
Was very solid till be left the field just before half-time. Argentina looked disjointed after he joined captain Felipe Contepomi on the sideline.
6/10
12 Santiago Fernandez:
Was well marshalled by England captain Mike Tindall and later became just a link.
5/10
11 Horacio Agulla:
He did conceded a couple of penalties, but otherwise a very good game. Broke the line and looked dangerous with ball in hand.
6/10
10 Felipe Contepomi (captain):
He also missed a penalty, but put his body on the line … literally. Battled on bravely for about 20 minutes after injuring his ribs and his absence was a blow.
6/10
9 Nicolas Vergallo:
Was a good link behind a dominant Argentinean pack, although he could have added a bit more variation. However, if you play according to a pre-set game plan that suits your strengths, you can’t be faulted for sticking to it.
6/10
8 Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe:
There were some great and very crucial steals at the breakdown, while he was also great at the restarts. A real tower of strength in the Puma pack.
9/10
7 Juan Manuel Leguizamón:
Apart from his enormous workrate, he had some really impressive carries and did not shirk his work at the breakdown.
7/10
6 Julio Farias Cabello:
At times it seemed he disappeared into oblivion, but that was probably because he was working mostly doing the support work and not the flashy stuff.
6/10
5 Patricio Albacete:
Apart from his numerous, effective, carries, he also did some really good work at the breakdown and was invaluable in the set pieces.
7/10
4 Manuel Carizza:
Had fewer carries than his fellow second row, but his hard work at helping clearing out the rucks makes him a valuable asset.
6/10
3 Juan Figallo:
Typical Argentinean prop. Works hard in the set pieces and when he takes the ball up it is in close quarters. Nothing flash, but hard-working.
6/10
2 Mario Ledesma:
He was knocked out cold by Courtney Lawes’s knee (a deliberate foul that warrants citing and a ban). But then the 38-year-old still got back up to play on till the last five minutes, when he went down injured again. What a warrior!
8/10
1 Rodrigo Roncero:
Literally bled for his country and the veteran proved to be a valuable asset – plenty of close-in pick-‘n-drives and clearing out at the rucks. Did plenty of the donkey work.
7/10
Replacements:
16 Agustin Creevy (on for Mario Ledesma, 56th min):
Did not have the workrate of the veteran, and the scrum also looked under pressure.
5/10
17 Martin Scelzo (on for Rodrigo Roncero, 16th min, blood; on for Juan Figallo, 58th min) :
Struggled in the scrums and allowed the England pack to gain the ascendancy.
5/10
18 Mariano Galarza (on for Juan-Manuel Leguizamón, 78th min):
Not enough time to be rated.
19 Alejandro Campos (on for Julio Farias Cabello, 70th min):
Not enough time to be rated.
20 Alfredo Lalanne:
Not used.
21 Marcelo Bosch (on for Felipe Contepomi, 27th min):
He may not always have the calming affect of Contepomi, but had some nice runs and broke the line several times. At times lacked the support to turn opportunities into points.
6/10
22 Juan Jose Imhoff (on for Gonzalo Tiesi, 37th min):
He was solid on defence and didn’t do much wrong. But he is not in Tiesi’s class – steady rather than spectacular.
6/10
