Pumas player ratings vs Australia | Flight Centre Series 2026

The Pumas managed to clinch a 28-point draw after a final ten minutes in which the locals were down to 13 men after Lucio Cinti and Santi Carreras were sent off.

At Mendoza’s Estadio Malvinas, Argentina overturned a 14-point deficit from the opening quarter, with Pablo Matera, Rodrigo Isgró and Joaquín Moro donning the superhero capes as they inspired the Pumas’ fightback.

1. Boris Wenger – 7
Picked up where he had left off last week, with Wenger (and Delgado) controlling the scrum operations for most of the opening half. The ironclad prop’s massive physicality made the difference in the grittiest moments.

2. Ignacio Ruiz – 7.5
Like his front-row partners, Ruiz delivered a far improved performance from last week, nailing all of his lineout throws and contributing to several smart attacking moves that gave the Pumas more attacking options. Forced his way over through heavy traffic to level the scores at 21-21, before being substituted with 10 minutes to go after a wholehearted, energy-sapping performance.

3. Pedro Delgado – 7
Although Francisco Moreno was not the source of Argentina’s front-row issues last week, Delgado proved a clear upgrade across the board, offering greater mobility around the field and stronger technical expertise in the scrum. Added an x-factor to the Pumas’ set-piece throughout the match.

4. Efraín Elías – 7
Delivered a workhorse performance that helped the Pumas tie the game when it seemed the Wallabies were cruising for an easy win. Successfully diverted two Australian lineout throws, also pushing for a couple of Wallabies’ forced handling mistakes. 

5. Franco Molina – 6.5
Worked tirelessly on defence, securing more than 15 tackles in under 50 minutes. Despite his strong opening 20 minutes, Molina would end up sent to the sin bin; his side conceded several penalties, but returned to play with more ‘ganas’, winning several contests and clinching two sensational jackals.

6. Pablo Matera – 9
Matera embodies the spirit of the Pumas, offering boundless resilience and an unbreakable will, and working ceaselessly to turn things around. The legendary back-rower brushed aside a few tacklers before grounding the ball to score Argentina’s first finish, also playing a vital role in Ignacio Mendy’s try in what was another monumental performance in the Albiceleste shirt. Scored his team’s fourth five-pointer in what seemed a match-winning moment.

7. Guido Petti – 7
Less prominent than in the opening match of the 2026 Flight Centre Series, Petti faced a difficult task trying to tie down Rob Valentini and Fraser McReight, while looking for a way to get involved in his side’s attacking operations.

8. Joaquín Moro – 8
Massive impact from start to finish. The powerful, talented No. 8 was everywhere, knocking tacklers to the side as if he were sprinting down the bowling alley, winning the physicality contest on most occasions. Produced the clever pop pass for Mendy’s try and was heavily involved in Argentina’s attacking play, providing the Pumas with a vital injection of confidence whenever the pressure mounted.

9. Simón Benítez Cruz – 7
Managed to make both the best and the worst decisions. The scrum-half orchestrated several of the Pumas’ finest attacking combinations, yet was also responsible for two monumental misplays –one of which occurred at the end of the first half and could have given the home team the lead. However, it would be wrong not to highlight him as one of the key driving forces of this match, propelling his team toward a much better performance than the one seven days ago.

10. Nícolas Roger – 5.5
Didn’t start well with a kick to touch that ended up going behind the Wallabies in-goal area, missing also several easy tackles that allowed the Wallabies to gain some momentum. Locked in some good passes but was far from what the team needed when the Wallabies closed ranks.

11. Ignacio Mendy – 7
The winger was reliable in the air, handling well the Wallabies’ attempts to sow panic through their kicking strategy. Mendy frequently found space out wide, racking up 50 meters and a line break over the 80 minutes, creating defensive headaches for the visitors.

12. Faustino Sánchez Valarolo – 6
Underperformed again. Although Valarolo’s role in his side’s defensive effort has to be highlighted given that he nailed eleven successful tackles, the centre seemed disconnected from the attack, mis-timing some plays that were overturned by the opposition.

13. Lucio Cinti – 6.5

Was far more involved than his counterpart, producing a series of strong carries into contact that not only gained valuable yardage but also put Argentina in a more comfortable position to reach the final third of the field. Unfortunately, his promising showing was ultimately marred by an avoidable yellow card that led to the 28-point draw.

14. Rodrigo Isgró – 7.5
Was relentless from the wing, speeding up the game whenever he could, always trying to find a way in or, at least, foster something positive for the home team. Isgró’s unpredictability superpower was somewhat troublesome for Australia, with the elusive back beating four defenders and collecting a linebreak in 80 minutes.

15. Santiago Carreras –
“A moment of sheer ingenuity” is the kindest way to describe that intentional knock-on which resulted in a penalty try for the Wallabies with ten minutes left to play – at a time when his team was already down to 14 men. Up to that point, Carreras was doing his job with excellence, effectively covering the space behind the Argentine defence and handling the opposition’s kicking game well. However, even the best can slip up, with that moment ultimately deciding the game.

REPLACEMENTS – 7
If not for the yellow cards of some of the Pumas starters, the impact of the bench could’ve been felt more, as Mayco Vivas, Francisco Moreno, and Juan Scelzo brought great dynamism and high energy, making the home team believe in victory. Lavanini, Soler and Bertranou came on in the final 12 minutes, just as the game was descending into chaos.