Argentina got their Rugby World Cup campaign back on track courtesy of a 28-12 victory over Tonga in their Pool C encounter in Higashiosaka on Saturday.
Hooker Julian Montoya was Los Pumas’ hero as he led the way with a hat-trick of tries – all scored during the first half – but Argentina went off the boil in the second period which was dominated by Tonga.
In the end, Argentina outscored the Pacific Islanders by four tries to two with Santiago Carreras also crossing the whitewash and their other points came via the boot of Benjamin Urdapilleta, who added four conversions.
For Tonga, Telusa Veainu scored a brace of tries and Sonatane Takulua succeeded with a conversion.
Argentina dominated from the kick off and held a 21-0 lead midway through the half courtesy of tries from Montoya (2) and Carreras.
Montoya’s first five-pointer came after a fine lineout move on Tonga’s five-metre line in which he ran onto a pass from Tomas Lezana at the front of the set-piece before crashing over in the right-hand corner in the seventh minute.
10 minutes later, Montoya got his name onto the scoresheet again when he crossed for his second try off the back of a lineout drive deep inside the Pacific Islanders’ half.
Despite being on the back-foot, Tonga launched several attacks but their execution was poor and in the 20th minute a wayward pass from James Faiva was scooped up by Carreras, close to the halfway line, and he outpaced the cover defence before crossing the whitewash.
Five minutes later, Argentina thought they had scored again when Urdapilleta crossed Tonga’s try-line but his effort was disallowed by the television match official, who ruled that it was inconclusive whether he had grounded the ball.
Shortly afterwards, Montoya got over for his hat-trick – and his team’s bonus-point try – when he scored from close range after Los Pumas’ forwards had set up several phases in the build-up.
Tonga needed a response and that came on the half-hour mark when an excellent passage of play was rounded off by Veainu, who did well to step past a couple of defenders close to Argentina’s try-line before dotting down.
Takulua added the extras which meant Argentina were leading 28-7 and just before half-time David Halaifonua went over in the left-hand corner but he was bundled into touch by Tomas Lavanini, with what looked like a shoulder charge but he was not penalised for his challenge.
After becoming the first hooker to score a hat-trick at a Rugby World Cup since 1999, Julian Montoya was the deserved winner of the @Mastercard Player of the Match for #ARGvTGA #StartSomethingPriceless #POTM #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/UYgypmM5B2
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) September 28, 2019
Argentina came out firing after the restart and spent most of the early stages of the half camped inside Tonga’s half.
In the 52nd minute, Tomas Cubelli got over the try-line but television replays revealed that a desperate tackle from Takulua had knocked the ball from his grasp and the try was disallowed.
That superb cover tackle seemed to inspire the Pacific Islanders and they held the upper hand during the rest of the match. They launched several attacks from inside their half and Argentina battled to keep them at bay.
And in the 66th minute, Tonga were rewarded for their attacking endeavour when Veainu rounded of brilliantly in the right-hand corner after gathering a superb offload from Cooper Vuna.
The closing stages were frantic as Tonga tried to narrow the gap but although they spent long periods inside Argentina’s half, they could not narrow the gap and Los Pumas held on for the win.
The scorers:
For Argentina:
Tries: Montoya 3, Carrerras
Cons: Urdapilleta 4
For Tonga:
Tries: Veainu 2
Con: Takulua
Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matías Moroni, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 11 Santiago Carreras, 10 Benjamin Urdapilleta, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Tomas Lezana, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Bautista Delguy
Tonga: 15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Viliami Lolohea, 13 Malietoa Hingano, 12 Siale Piutau (c), 11 David Halaifonua, 10 James Faiva, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 8 Maama Vaipulu, 7 Zane Kapeli, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Halaleva Fifita, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi
Replacements: 16 Sosefo Sakalia, 17 Vunipola Fifita, 18 Ma’afu Fia, 19 Sitiveni Mafi, 20 Nasi Manu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Latiume Fosita, 23 Cooper Vuna
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
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