Following Argentina’s agonising 27-23 defeat to England, here’s how we rated Felipe Contepomi’s charges at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
Argentina player ratings
15 Juan Cruz Mallía: His brain fade and attempt to keep the ball alive in the 10th minute when the ball was loose gifted Max Ojomoh a try. But he went about righting his wrongs for the remainder of the hour he was on the pitch before he was hammered by Tom Curry, which ended his match when he executed a masterful 50:22. One of the better Pumas under the high ball, too. 7
14 Rodrigo Isgró: Lost the aerial battle more often than not and conceded a penalty. Threatened when he did get some ball in hand and racked up over 40 running metres and grabbed a late try, running a great line. Like many of his teammates, he started poorly but improved as the game went on. 7
13 Matías Moroni: George Ford’s head denied him a try assist after a brilliant break as he delayed his pass too long. Needed to make a more dominant hit on Ojomoh, who was offloading from the deck to Henry Slade. He had some good moments, but he made costly errors. 6
12 Justo Piccardo: Filling Santiago Carreras’ boots is no easy task, but Piccardo certainly made it look that way. He was combative, impactful and probably the breakout star of the year for the Pumas. He started and finished the attack that resulted in Argentina’s first try. He thundered through the English defence time and time again, including right at the end when the Pumas looked like they were going to snatch a famous win. Contepomi has unearthed another superstar. 8
11 Bautista Delguy: Caught out by Ojomoh’s brilliant cross kick and was put under pressure in the aerial duel and had limited involvement in attack. 5
10 Tomás Albornoz: The Lion slayer returned for the first time since facing the Springboks in September, and while he had moments of brilliance, he was outkicked by George Ford and was unable to weave his magic. Still, he knocked over most of his shots at goal before being replaced. 5
9 Simón Benítez Cruz: Throws his diminutive frame into the breakdown with real bravery and was rewarded with a penalty for doing so, allowing Argentina to get onto the board. After a sluggish start, he grew into the game before being hooked when he was really hitting his stride. 6
England hold off brave fightback from spirited Argentina to clinch 11th successive victory
The forwards
8 Santiago Grondona: Used as a battering ram in the tight and did the job well for 45 minutes, and was accurate in defence. Ticked the boxes without being a standout. 6
7 Marcos Kremer: 11 tackles during his shift, and best believe each one of them were bone-crunching. Usually wins the collision battle, and today was no different. One of the best in the business and showed it today. He may be made of granite. 8
6 Juan Martín González: An extreme athlete with a tireless work-rate. He was able to bash and wiggle through tackles while landing hefty hits on defence. Also, the safest pair of hands in the Pumas lineout. Played a major role in the fightback. 8
5 Pedro Rubiolo: After the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he has been basically undroppable for Contepomi, and it’s easy to see why. The second rower has the mobility and work-rate of a back-rower but the size and shape of a lock. Tireless work-rate and lives for the contact, and he found plenty of it today. 7
4 Guido Petti: Has to share responsibility for the lineout woes with his skipper. His usual busy self at the breakdowns, though, particularly in attack. Nothing stands out overall; a rather average outing. 5
3 Pedro Delgado: The Pumas scrum remains an issue, but today, Delgado went a long way in setting the ship on the right course. Ellis Genge still got the better of him on occasion, but the tighthead largely held his own. Decent in defence. 6
2 Julián Montoya (c): His lineout throws early in the game were frankly shocking. He managed to turn it around as the match progressed while he was his usual brutal, pestering, effective self in open play. Kept referee Pierre Broussett honest, asking good questions of the official. 7
1 Thomas Gallo: England weren’t as aggressive as they had been previously in the scrums, but like Delgado, he held his form well and stayed in the fight. Around the park, he was at his usual busy best, charging around like a mobile wrecking ball, punching holes with a ball in hand and landing hefty hits. 7
Replacements: For a second week in a row, Santiago Carreras came on and completely changed the game for Argentina and inspired a stunning comeback that fell just short. He was ably assisted by Agustin Moyano, while Joaquin Oviedo will be gutted that he spilt the ball over the line. Pablo Matera was massive again as the Pumas ‘Bomb Squad’ fired Argentina into a position to potentially win the match, but imploded in the clutch with the lineout faltering again as they coughed up a chance at a historic unbeaten tour. 6