Pumitas flop first up against Wales

Los Pumitas scored some amazing tries but were a flop first up against Wales. The host country of the World Rugby U20 Championship fell to a 30-25 defeat as ill-discipline cost them badly.

Scoring of three of the game’s five tries was not enough for a positive result as Wales calmly went about their work. The Western British team scored 20 of their points via the boot of Cai Evans, and the fly half also landed a conversion.

It mattered not that Los Pumitas played scintillating rugby and scored memorable tries as they cost themselves victory as Wales were able to overturn  a deficit to power to a deserved victory.

Early on the Argentine side was dominant. Controlling the contact area superbly they would score though prop Francisco Minervino. Wales reacted by making personal changes and it would work out in their favor.

A try to back-rower Jac Morgan and two penalties from Evans saw Wales going into half-time with the lead, albeit by the narrowest of margins.

Argentina swiftly responded to the 11-10 half-time deficit, doing so with a sensational try. Future Puma Bautista Pedemonte carried well to break from the back of a scrum inside his own 22. A break down the left would see Mateo Carreras tackled two meters short but it mattered not as smart play from Gerónimo Prisciantelli saw Rodrigo Isgro gathering and diving over.

Wales hit-back through the boot of Evans. Three quick penalties put the Western British back infant and saw Argentina down to 14 men for ten minutes.

The home side again fought back with another memorable try. Scoring this time was Ignacio Mendy who crossed for a solo try in which he left four Welsh backs for dead.

Wales still had life left in them and would find their way over for a notable try of their own. Scoring was winger Ryan Conbeer who broke through to silence the home supporters.

There was time left for the teams to exchange penalties but which saw Wales finishing with a five point victory. There is no time for dwelling on what might have been as Los Pumitas take-on Fiji on Saturday in a must-win fixture.

 

SCORING

ARGENTINA
Try: Minvervino, Isgro, Mendy
Conversion: Prisciantelli, De la Vega Mendía
Penalty: Prisciantelli, De la Vega Mendía

WALES
Try: Morgan, Conbeer
Conversion: Evans
Penalty: Evans (6)

 

TEAMS

ARGENTINA
15 Ignacio Mendy, 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Juan Pablo Castro (capt.), 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Gerónimo Prisciantelli, 9 Gonzalo García, 8 Bautista Pedemonte, 7 Juan Martín González, 6 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel, 5 Lucas Bur, 4 Manuel Burnstein, 3 Francisco Coria, 2 Pablo Dimcheff, 1 Francisco Minervino

Replacements: 16 Thomás Gallo, 17 Ramiro Gurovich, 18 Francisco Calandra, 19 Estanislao Carullo, 20 Agustín Toth, 21 Ramiro Tallone Nadaff, 22 Jerónimo Gómez Vara, 23 Federico Parnas, 24 Joaquín Pellandini, 25 Joaquín de la Vega Mendía, 26 Nicolás Roger, 27 Tomás Acosta Pimentel, 28 Marcos Moneta

WALES
15 Ioan Davies, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Aneurin Owen, 12 Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, 11 Ryan Conbeer, 10 Cai Evans, 9 Harri Morgan, 8 Jac Morgan, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Lennon Greggains, 5 Jac Price, 4 Morgan Jones, 3 Ben Warren, 2 Dewi Lake (capt.), 1 Kemsley Mathias

Replacements: 16 Will Griffiths,17  Garin Lloyd, 18 Rhys Davies, 19 Tom Devine, 20 Nick English, 21 Teddy Williams, 
22 Ed Scragg, 23 Iestyn Rees, 24 Dafydd Buckland, 25 Max Llewellyn, 26 Deon Smith, 27 Tomi Lewis