Wales player ratings vs Argentina | 2021 Summer Tests
Wales player ratings: Argentina may have struggled against Romania last week, but they were always going to be a far more robust challenge than the Canadians, given a similar Pumas 23 toppled the All Blacks just nine months previously.
What unfolded was the flattest Welsh performance of 2021, in which the best they could do was a draw against an Argentinian outfit that had just 14 men for the bulk of this contest.
WALES PLAYER RATINGS:
1 NICKY SMITH – 6.5
As prop’s go, Smith is a real competitor over the ball and he picked the Puma’s pockets here more than once. Tackled his guts out.
2 ELLIOT DEE – 6
Beavered away all afternoon, his trademark industriousness on display before being replaced by Elias.
3 DILLON LEWIS – 6
Uncompromising in defence from the off and was just about edging his setpiece battle with loosehead Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro before the pair were sent to the sin bin by Matthew Carley.
4 BEN CARTER – 5
Relatively anonymous here off the back of a very impressive debut against Canada. Facing Kremer and co on your second cap will do that.
5 WILL ROWLANDS – 6
A hot mess of a performance, with too many silly errors and coach killer penalties. On the flip side ran a great supporting line to pop up out wide for Wales’ 52nd-minute try which saw him having to rely on a Go-Go Gadget arm extension to take. Won’t have liked to being handed off by Matera.
6 ROSS MORIARTY – 6
A fumble early on set the tone for a pretty flat first half for Moriarty. A couple of decent contributions with ball in hand in the second half, but he’s still some way off his combative best.
7 JAMES BOTHAM – 5
Lucky to get away with a penalty for lifting Pablo Mattera beyond the horizontal and dumping him. Other than that, the game largely passed him by.
8 AARON WAINWRIGHT – NA
A bright start for Wainwright, an early canter up the pitch no doubt filling him with confidence, but he was hauled off with an unspecified injury after just 23 minutes.
9 KIERAN HARDY – 6
Targeted by the Pumas for some extra attention, ultimately resulting in a red card for the South Americans and a sore jaw for Hardy. Excellent service.
10 CALLUM SHEEDY – 4
Shaved the posts from 47 metres out with 13 minutes on the clock before gifting the Puma’s their opening points by surprising his teammates with a tap and go before entering the subsequent ruck from the side. Didn’t provide the control Wales’ needed here and found wanting when it came to containing Argentina’s ball carriers in the 1o channel. His first bad performance in the red of Wales.
11 OWEN LANE – 6
Like Jonah Holmes on the opposite wing, didn’t get a great deal of quality ball, but made the most of what he did get. Came looking for work but the Pumas contained him.
12 JONATHAN DAVIES – 5
Sheedy needed minding in defence and Davies didn’t do him any favours here. No bright ideas in attack either as Wales’ struggles to capitalise on the extra man. At times the veteran looked too beaten up for the task in front of him.
13 UILISI HALAHOLO – 4
Was clearly annoyed at himself after a midfield fumble binned off a promising Welsh attacking position. A game to forget for Halaholo.
14 JONAH HOLMES – 5.5
Did he touch the ball in the first half? Wales generally failed to get the ball anywhere near their wings today and Holmes was a victim of that failure. A few decent contributions in the second stanza but he didn’t worry the Pumas in attack.
15 HALLAM AMOS – 6.5
A good dustpan and brush, in the best sense of that metaphor. Some classy touches with the boot, although he opted to run the ball back at the Pumas more often than not. The best of mediocre back division today.
REPLACEMENTS
19 JOSH TURNBULL – 7.5 The big blindside made an impression off the bench and was one of a few Welshmen to take the flight to Argentina. 20 TAINE BASHAM – 7 A notable improvement on Botham. 21 TOMOS WILLIAMS – 7.5 – Took his try remarkably well while those around him looked on listlessly. 23 NICK TOMPKINS – 7 Injected pace and intent into Wales’ misfiring backline. He’s not a world-beater but he makes **** happen.
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments