The result returned by Cardiff’s Millennium’s glittering screen reflected less on how the match was unfolding than on the condition of both teams. Puma is fulfilling the task of imposing authority before Welsh And let’s start the November window with a win. Defeat by 52-28However, rather than an overwhelming superiority in the game, this is an indication of the opposite situations that both teams are experiencing and the weight of their individual personalities. While the club faces its worst crisis in its history, the Argentine is fighting to cement his place among the big leagues. They didn’t play like a powerhouse, but they won like a powerhouse..
Pumas showed good rugby, solid defense and a great ability to exploit unconventional play, making up for the lack of fluidity that characterized much of the match. The Welsh are characterized by being a nation that takes pride in their rugby, but with their attacks being more intense in the contact zone, there was too much uncertainty to allow the Argentines to play the game as they intended.
Even if they weren’t comfortable on the field, supporting seven tries reflects the status this Pumas team has achieved and the evolution they have shown over the past four years. It is understandable that there will be some margin of error as this is the first match of the European Tour and presents a very different challenge to the Rugby Championship in terms of how matches are planned. it should be interpreted as Starting point for improvement The next two games will increase in difficulty: Scotland, next Sunday: England.
Victory too The basis for maintaining 6th place in the world rankingswill determine the seeding for the 2027 Australia tournament draw to be held on December 3. By finishing in the top six, they will no longer be able to share the group with other powerful countries. Pumas, who won by more than 15 points, reached 84.30 points, clearing their pursuers from Australia (81.69 points), Scotland (81.21 points) and Fiji (81.15 points), who lost on Saturday. However, they are still far behind fifth place, currently in the hands of France (86.95 points).
One of the puma’s biggest advantages was its ability to attack at the right time. famous championship minutes. Six of the seven tries came from there. Two in the first 10 minutes, two at the end of the first quarter, one at the start of the second and another at the end of the game. The other one was an interception midway through the second half. Geronimo Prisciantellialmost the same as Nicolas Sanchez’s score in the France 2023 quarter-finals in Marseille, the last time the two teams met. The local team tried to roll at the start of the scrum, but the number 10 read it perfectly and ultimately sent it flying past the goalposts.
Despite being only his third appearance and second start for the Pumas, the fly-half was an obvious choice in the squad. Best player of the match. In addition to the games he supported, he made one of his team’s few defensive blunders, cutting into the back half of the field and French tackling Dan Edwards as he rushed into the in-goal, saving a try. He once again proved himself to be an effective replacement in Tomas Albornoz’s absence. He has better driving skills than Santiago Carreras.
Returning as a full-back, the Cordoban player found space on the counter-attack and was incredibly effective with his stick, finishing with 17 points with eight hits from eight deliveries. Meanwhile, it wasn’t a good game for scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz, as he moved from high to low and missed a few passes in the closing stages.
The number 9 was, in part, a victim of the difficulties Pumas were having in the ruck. Due to the greater substance Wales showed in that aspect, he was rarely able to have a fast, clean ball. Captain Jack Morgan was a nightmare until he was forced off injured midway through the second half. This is a key aspect of the game, advocated by Felipe Contepomi, that needs to be fixed immediately.
It was not a “clean” victory for the Pumas. There were many handling errors, especially at the bottom of the rack. I was able to string a few phases together several times in a row, but failed in the last few meters. They had 13 entries in the final 22 meters, but there they committed two knock-ons, lost two balls in rucks, one caught in a maul and another misplaced with their footing.
Among the positive data are The two penalties earned in the scrum are worth highlighting. Although it wasn’t dominant, it was a formation that was better than its rivals. They also recovered a lot from the air, especially with the work of Bautista Delgui. The back three, on the other hand, hesitated in that area of the defence. A few balls fell into no-man’s land, but the Welshman easily won them back.
The Pumas conceded just five penalties, a very low number. The order of defense was one of the keys. of victory. Still, what was notable was that in one chaotic moment, three shots in a row were scored, resulting in the local team’s third try.
The 50,185 spectators who turned out to support the team in a fantastic setting at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium will have gone home satisfied with their team’s dedication. They also witnessed the performance of a team from another tier. Pumas did their part. From now on, you will have to level up according to the difficulty that awaits you.
Wales (28): Blair Murray. Tom Rogers, Max Llewellyn, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams. Dan Edwards and Tomos Williams. Aaron Wainwright, Jack Morgan (c), Alex Mann. Adam Beard and Dafydd Jenkins. Keiron Assilatti, Dewi Lake, Rhys Carre.
Coach: Steve Tandy.
Subs: ST 4m, Archie Griffin of Asilatti, Nicky Smith of Cale, Louis Rees-Zammit of Rogers. 14th place, Liam Belcher for Lake, Ollie Cracknell for Morgan. 24, Freddie Thomas of Wainwright and Jarrod Evans of Edwards. No. 35, Kieran Hardy of Williams.
Argentina (52): Santiago Carreras. Bautista Delgui, Justo Picardo, Santiago Chocobarres, Mateo Carreras. Geronimo Prisciantelli and Simon Benitez Cruz. Juan Martín González, Joaquín Oviedo, Pablo Matera. Marcos Kremer and Guido Petit Pagadizabal. Pedro Delgado, Julián Montoya (c), Meiko Vivas.
Director: Felipe Contepomi.
Changes: ST 5m, Tomas Gallo to Vivas, Tomas Rapetti to Delgado. 6-18, Juan Cruz María, S. Carreras (interim). 18, Santiago Grondona to Oviedo, Maria to Chocovares. 19th, Matias Alemanno for Kremer and Rodrigo Isgro for M. Carreras. 25, by Agustín Moyano and Benítez Cruz. 26, Ignacio Ruiz, Montoya
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