Admittedly, they were assisted by an initially muted Tongan performance, but when the Pumas get an opportunity close to the line they have a strong mauling game and some tricks up their sleeve. Instead of opting for a straightforward penalty early on, they went instead for a nifty lineout move which saw scrum-half Tomás Cubelli set off left on a persuasive decoy run,diverting attention from the blindside where the ball was swiftly returned to an unmarked Montoya who scored in the corner. On a warm, humid, energy‑sapping afternoon, they also visibly ran out of steam in the second half; stringing 80 minutes of good rugby together continues to be an elusive concept. Defensively out wide they also looked vulnerable at times, with Leicester’s Telusa Veainu twice scoring tries despite the presence of several Argentina players in extremely close proximity. There is no question the Pumas would be a stronger side if the overseas-based trio of Juan Imhoff, Santiago Cordero and Facundo Isa were all involved at this tournament. Their no-nonsense 6ft 7in lock Tomás Lavanini, who is heading for Leicester after this World Cup, was lucky not to receive a yellow card for the shoulder charge that prevented David Halaifonua from scoring in the left corner but his height and attitudewill be important against England. His second-row partner Guido Petti, who played on despite a slight second-half knock to his shoulder, is another important presence, as is the hard-workingcaptain, Pablo Matera, and the openside Marcos Kremer. Given some forward momentum, the Pumas backs will not be afraid to try their luck but neither of their two fly- halves, Benjamín Urdapilleta and Nicolás Sánchez, are currently taking games by the scruff of the neck.
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