Los Pumas player ratings vs Italy | Nations Championship 2026

Los Pumas player ratings: Argentina bounced back after a brutal loss to Ireland, clinching a 19-14 win against Italy, though the home side was on the verge of drawing level.

The first half was largely disappointing for the Argentines, who looked sluggish, with only Pedro Rubiolo, Pablo Matera, Justo Piccardo and Mateo Carreras truly rising to the occasion.

Fortunately for Felipe Contepomi’s side, the second half saw a different version of the Pumas, as the team secured enough points during their six incursions into the Italian 22-metre area.

1. Boris Wenger – 6
Argentina’s set-piece misfired on several occasions, and not even the scrum was spared, with the trio of Wenger, Bernasconi and Moreno showing some issues. In open play, the Harlequins prop still managed to perform well, clinching a pivotal turnover when Italy were just a few metres from scoring their second, although he conceded two penalties for not rolling away quickly enough.

2. Bautista Bernasconi – 6
Scored a try on his debut, but his lineout input was far from ideal, missing three throws, including one just a few metres from the Italian in-goal area. Mostly won the gain-line in his nine carries, outmuscling the Italian defence and looking powerful with ball in hand.

3. Francisco Moreno – 6
Shares some of the blame for the scrum errors but performed at a better level than last week, ranking as one of Argentina’s top tacklers with nine successful attempts.

4. Guido Petti – 7
A mostly quiet game from Petti. Did well in disrupting Italy’s set-piece, intercepting two Italian throws and creating some chaos in the opposition driving maul.

5. Pedro Rubiolo – 8
The 23-year-old Bristol Bears lock is slowly becoming a vital piece of the Pumas puzzle, as seen by his work at the breakdown, lineout and in open play. Despite most of his teammates looking fizzled out in the opening half, Rubiolo, like Pablo Matera, did everything he could to keep Argentina in the contest as Italy tried to expand their lead. Once the dust had settled in Genoa, Rubiolo had tallied two steals, two dominant tackles, a lineout steal and five gain-line successes from six attempts.

6. Pablo Matera – 7.5
That makeshift cross-kick almost set up Mateo Carreras for a try, and Matera showed why he is still enormous for the Pumas, injecting much-needed positive aggression throughout the contest. Did well in limiting Tommaso Allan’s movements, exiting speedily from the scrum to pressure the Italian backline.

7. Joaquín Moro – 6.5
A mixed-bag performance from strongman Moro, who, despite finishing as Argentina’s main ball carrier, was unable to make an impact with most of his carries and lost control of the ball on three occasions. At the same time, his tackling output was largely inconsequential, completing only 50 per cent of his attempts, low figures for a Pumas loosie. Went off four minutes into the second half.

8. Juan Martín Scelzo – 6.5
In the same boat as Moro, the No.8 was physically impressive at times but less so at others. He seemed a bit all over the place, mostly because the match turned out to be so chaotic.

9. Simón Benítez Cruz – 6
A performance that had a bit of everything. Was involved in some key plays for Argentina, but was also a liability in a few others, conceding penalties and making handling mistakes that hurt his side. Was replaced early in the second half by Gonzalo García, who looked more fired up.

10. Tomás Albornoz – 7.5
Despite spending ten minutes in the sin-bin, Albornoz was a vital cog in keeping Argentina afloat when Italy controlled the contest, with the Argentina fly-half nailing several high kicks that created problems for the Azzurri backline. Assisted Rodrigo Isgró’s try and connected a handful of key passes to help Argentina get ahead in the second half.

11. Mateo Carreras – 8
Reliable and one of the Pumas’ hardest workers. Rarely got the chance to carry the ball, but he made each moment count by driving Argentina forward. Every time Allan or Garbisi kicked in his direction, he claimed the ball cleanly, making him a reliable pair of hands throughout. He also crossed for Argentina’s third try.

12. Santiago Chocobares – 7
Made a key pass that opened the Italian in-goal area for Mateo Carreras to strike, pairing with Albornoz to deliver a consistent attacking platform from the set-piece. Cunning in how he moved the ball, trying to create doubt in the opposition. Was lucky not to see a yellow card with ten minutes remaining.

13. Justo Piccardo – 7.5
Undoubtedly one of the most difficult players to stop in his tracks. The Montpellier centre’s physicality stood out for Argentina, as he shrugged off several tackles to give his side’s attack some much-needed forward momentum. Abrasive, in a good sense, as he spearheaded his side’s defence.

14. Rodrigo Isgró – 7
Claimed a try in the corner and kept being a disruptive operator for the Italian defence, bagging two line breaks and beating five defenders. However, his work under the high ball wasn’t on the same level as Carreras, and he missed the mark on a few occasions.

15. Bautista Delguy – 6.5
There was an increase in performance in the second half, saving Argentina from greater harm when he gathered an Italian kick that could have levelled the scores. Unfortunately, the full-back was involved in Italy’s first try, mistiming the ball and allowing Monty Ioane to ground it in the corner.

REPLACEMENTS – 6
Gonzalo García, Joel Sclavi and Juan Martín González provided exactly the spark Argentina needed. They brought energy and intensity to a team that had looked sluggish for much of the first half. García was key to ensuring Argentina secured stability at the ruck, with the scrum-half finding the right tempo to help Argentina get ahead. However, the yellow cards shown to Sclavi and Elías could have proven costly had Italy taken advantage of those opportunities to score.