How they rated
HALLAM AMOS
The official man of the match a week earlier, but not this time. Amos spilled two high balls with the sun in his eyes in the opening half and was sin-binned midway through the opening half after an illegal tackle.
A game he’ll want to forget.
OWEN LANE
The hard-running Cardiff Blue handed Wales the initiative with a fine finish, then came up with a chargedown that offered
Wayne Pivac’s underpressure team some respite. Occasionally lacked composure uner pressure, but Lane was more in credit than debit.
NICK TOMPKINS
He had won his starting place back after a spell on the margins. Had a hand in the first try but there were occasional lapses and with next to no forward platform before the break he found it hard to impose himself. Went down with the ship.
JONATHAN DAVIES
It’s been a tough gig having to lead a team shorn of at least
15 players. But he started well here, coming up the assist that put Owen Lane over. There was also a solid carry. On the debit side, he was turned over early in second half and put a kick out on the full.
TOM ROGERS
It didn’t go fantastically for Rogers. There were three turnovers
3 conceded and a pass that went to ground. He never gives up and stuck at it, but it wasn’t his day.
JARROD EVANS
First start for Wales in almost two years, and there were some flashes of inspiration, with one second-half pass worth the entrance money on its own. But with a weak forward platform conditions were hardly perfect for the Cardiff Blue to boss the game.
TOMOS WILLIAMS
Not as influential as the previous week, when he starred off the bench, although Williams wasn’t helped by Wales coming off second best in the forward battle.
STAR MAN: JOSH TURNBULL
First Wales start for seven years – quite some wait between drinks – and got stuck into his task with a burst of tackles, a turnover and a couple of strong carries in the first quarter. Turnbull maintained his defensive solidity and was never far from the action. Wales’ best player on the day.
But the bar was set low.
REPLACEMENTS
Sam Parry (for Dee, 49), Rhodri Jones (for Thomas, 57), Dillon Lewis (for Brown, 49), Matthew Screech (for Carter, 49), Taine Basham (for Botham, 62), Kieran Hardy (for Williams 62), Callum Sheedy (for Evans, 62), Willis Halaholo (for Rogers, 51)..
ARGENTINA
S Carreras; B Delguy, S Chocobares, J de la Fuente, M Moroni; N Sanchez, T Cubelli; N Chaparro, J Montoya (capt), F Kodela, G Petti, M Kremer, P Matera, F Isa, R Bruni. Reps: F Bosch, F Gigena, S Medrano, T Lavanini, M Alemanno, F Ezcurra, D Miotti, J Imhoff.
REFEREE
Luke Pearce (RFU).
3 6 4 5 5 5 GARETH THOMAS
A first start for Wales 16 days shy of his 28th birthday for the prop. Got into the game with a couple of solid
5 tackles and then won a scrum penalty before conceding a couple in the second half.
Stayed busy in defence.
ELLIOT DEE
He’d spent a lot of time among the replacements at
Test level prior to these games. There was nothing wrong with Dee’s defence here, but an overthrow cost Wales from an attacking lineout and the Dragon couldn’t exert a telling influence in the loose. Subbed on 49 minutes.
LEON BROWN
Only two previous starts in 19
4
Wales appearances, but
Brown deserved the nod this time. Few in the Welsh front five pulled up any trees, though. While Brown fronted up with his tackling, there was no true indication of authority in other areas.
4
He found the Pumas a tougher proposition than Canada, that’s for sure, with Wales overpowered at the sharp end during his time on the pitch. But, like Brown, he rolled up his sleeves and tackled. There needs to be more, though.
5
The big man is a hardworker who’s had a decent summer. But Wales were given a hard time in the front five and he couldn’t turn the tide. Couldn’t stop Matera at the end.
BEN CARTER WILL ROWLANDS JAMES BOTHAM
Missed a hit from scrum in build-up to Argentina’s second try.
Other than that he got it right in defence, but he couldn’t put a stamp on the game in other areas.
ROSS MORIARTY 4
5
Started as if Argentina had offended him in another life, denting
6 their defence with his powerful charges and scything down blue-shirted carriers. Made 43 metres with ball in hand and did his bit on the defensive front line. Far from the worst.