Wales Suffer First Nations Championship Loss
Wales slipped to their first defeat of the Nations Championship as Argentina secured a commanding 35-21 victory in Santa Fe. Steve Tandy's side showed character but were outplayed for much of the match.
Player Ratings: Back Three and Half-Backs
15. Blair Murray 5 - The Scarlets full-back had a tough afternoon, with Argentina testing his aerial ability. He tried his best with ball in hand but had little impact.
14. Ellis Mee 6 - Justified his selection by winning the aerial battle and was solid with ball in hand, though he was brushed off a few times in defence.
13. Eddie James 5 - Put in big hits but missed a tackle on Justo Piccardo for Argentina's second try. Carried well but forced offloads. Some suggest he should be considered at inside centre.
12. Joe Hawkins 5 - Provided physical presence but Wales' attack struggled. He took wrong options too often, raising questions about the second play-maker role.
11. Josh Adams 5 - Defended well and was strong under the high ball but made little impact with ball in hand.
10. Sam Costelow 5 - A poor start, kicking out on the full and failing to deal with a high ball that led to Argentina's second try. Had occasional positive moments but missed his big chance.
9. Tomos Williams 6 - Kicked well out of hand and looked threatening with ball in hand, but struggled on the back foot.
Forwards: Back Row and Second Row
8. Aaron Wainwright 7 - Carried well and made crucial interventions, including a lineout steal five metres from Wales' try line.
7. Jac Morgan 8 (Star man) - The Gloucester-bound openside made 23 tackles and six carries. He was hugely effective at the breakdown, winning a key penalty early in the second half.
6. James Botham 7 - Worked tirelessly with 18 tackles and 15 carries. He held an Argentinian player up over the try line in the first half.
5. Adam Beard 5 - Effective at the lineout and played a role in Wales' opening try and scrum dominance, but lacks carrying threat.
4. Ben Carter 6 - Made 15 tackles and ensured the lineout ran smoothly, but Argentina were too strong up front.
Front Row and Replacements
3. Dillon Lewis 7 - Held his own in the scrum and won two turnovers in the first half before being replaced at half-time.
2. Dewi Lake 6 - The captain made 18 tackles and the lineout functioned well. He scored Wales' opening try but the pack struggled to get over the gainline.
1. Rhys Carré 7 - Carried well and got over the gainline regularly. He held his own in the scrum and scored his fifth try in six Tests before being replaced at half-time.
Replacements:
16. Ryan Elias 6 - Found his man at the lineout and stripped the ball from an Argentinian player near the line late on.
17. Nicky Smith 7 - Scrummaged extremely well and should have earned more from officials.
18. Ben Warren 7 - Solid at scrum time and scored his first international try from a big carry.
19. Teddy Williams 6 - Added energy and offered himself as a carrier.
20. Kane James 6 - Brought zip to the pack on his Test debut.
21. Kieran Hardy 5 - Not enough time to make an impact.
22. Max Llewellyn 5 - Did nothing wrong but lacked impact with ball in hand.
23. Louis Rees-Zammit 6 - Tried to get Wales back into the game and looked dangerous with ball in hand.
