Argentina player ratings vs Ireland | Nations Championship 2026

Argentina player ratings: Argentina’s November start to the Nations Championship was met with an unconvincing performance that ended in an uncontested 42-12 win for Ireland, the Pumas’ third defeat since the competition’s start.

Forced to play 60 minutes without a hooker due to injuries to Julián Montoya and Lionel Oviedo, Felipe Contempomi’s side couldn’t capitalise on a strong start, allowing the Irish hosts to dictate the game. Pablo Matera and Mateo Carreras were among the few to show true Argentine spirit in Dublin.

1. Boris Wenger – 5
Had to shift to hooker after Julián Montoya and Leonel Oviedo hobbled off injured. Was one of the few members of Argentina’s forward pack who turned up in Dublin, albeit missing a handful of tackles himself, one of which opened the door for Ireland’s first.

2. Julián Montoya – 4
The lineout was Argentina’s Achilles heel tonight, with Montoya one of the players to blame for the dismay, despite starting off well. Unfortunately, the experienced hooker was replaced in the 28th minute due to an HIA and did not return to the clash. Still made nine tackles and pilfered the ball once, with his team conceding two tries in the minutes after his departure.

3. Francisco Moreno – 5
The scrum wasn’t an issue for the visitors for most of the game, and Moreno, like Wenger, did his part to push back the Irish pack.

4. Guido Petti – 6.5
Clocked two turnovers in the opening half and was one of the Pumas’ best nuisances around the ruck, making Ireland’s life just a bit harder. While Ireland’s lineout was perfect, Petti looked determined to fight and inspire his teammates.

5. Pedro Rubiolo – 4
Potentially Rubiolo’s worst Test match outing. A cascade of missed tackles, penalties conceded, and an inability to counter Ireland’s lineout strategy. Was never in play.

6. Juan Martín González – 7.5
Crushing, dominant tackles and an eagerness to get involved in the physical contest, Juan Martín González played well in the enforcer role despite his team coming out as the losing side. By the end of the match, González led Argentina in line breaks with two, showing a monstrous desire to make an impact across all fronts.

7. Marcos Kremer – 5.5
Was not his usual self, mainly in the opening 50 minutes, when he missed two key tackles, one on Sam Prendergast, extending the red carpet for the fly-half to reach the posts. Argentina clearly felt Kremer’s absence, particularly in terms of physicality, an area Ireland controlled comfortably throughout the match.

8. Pablo Matera – 7.5
By some distance, Argentina’s best performer. Did his best to put a lid on his teammates’ constant defensive errors, remaining fully committed to the Argentine cause until the very last second. In attack, he won the gain line 60% of the time, making good ground and giving Ireland a taste of the Pumas’ prime physicality.

9. Gonzalo García – 5.5
Argentina’s sluggishness was a critical issue that led to a disappointing loss, and García couldn’t find a way to wake his teammates from their slumber. Aside from missing a few key passes, the scrum-half never seemed to have control of the game, allowing Craig Casey to have the upper hand.

10. Tomás Albornoz – 6
A heavily mixed game from Albornoz. Kicked things in great fashion, punting a masterful kick to set up Carreras for the winger’s first finish of the night, but was directly implicated in two of Ireland’s tries, failing to read the opposition’s plays and opening the door to his try area wide open for the hosts to strike.

11. Mateo Carreras – 8
Went high to score the Pumas’ first try at the Aviva and found a way through the Irish defence to land a second finish, looking unstoppable every time the ball came his way and putting on an entertaining show. Not content with his attacking contribution, Carreras also made a couple of key tackles, one of which stopped Mack Hansen on the wing just as his opponent was preparing to slip past.

12. Santiago Chocobares – 6
The Stade Toulousain player only made his presence felt at certain moments, managing a line break midway through the second half along with a handful of positive attacking actions. However, as mentioned, he was somewhat absent, particularly when Ireland had possession of the ball, and was linked to Argentina’s poor defensive performance in this match.

13. Justo Piccardo – 6.5
Tried to create an exciting link with his centre partner but it rarely worked. Despite that, Piccardo was one of the few Argentinian players to take the fight to the Irish tacklers, winning more than a couple of clashes that, unfortunately, didn’t amount to much, mostly because his team couldn’t make the most of it.

14. Bautista Delguy – 5
Lacked access to the ball and opportunities to showcase his wide range of skills. However, his rating took a hit because of several positional and tactical mistakes, and Ireland identified that weakness early on.

15. Juan Cruz Mallía – 5.5
Like Delguy, Mallía struggled with Ireland’s kicking game, with the full-back unable to counter the hosts’ strategy throughout the contest. Was replaced with 20 minutes to go without impacting the game in any way, shape or form.

REPLACEMENTS – 4
Between yellow cards and penalties conceded, Argentina’s finishers failed to make an impact off the bench, with Simon Benítez Cruz as the only exception. The replacement scrum-half was the only one capable of injecting some dynamism and life into his side, although it wasn’t enough to steer the ship back on course.