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Pablo Matera rues Argentina’s missed chances after 28-28 draw with Australia

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Documents & data Outcome reported
  • Argentina improved from the previous week and drew 28-28 with Australia despite fielding mostly reserve players and two debutants.
  • Captain Pablo Matera said Argentina had too many chances to win, including six attacks that ended without points inside Australia’s 22-meter line.
  • Matera said the young team must reduce unforced errors and become more precise in key moments.

Pablo Matera’s frustration was clear after Argentina ended its rugby year with a 28-28 draw against Australia in Mendoza. There was no trophy or ranking points at stake, but the captain wanted a win.

This was a different team today, but I would have liked to win.

· Pablo MateraArgentina’s captain assessed the team’s improved performance after the draw with Australia.

“This was a different team today, but I would have liked to win,” Matera told television cameras. His main regret concerned the opportunities Argentina failed to turn into points. “When you think about it, you want to tear your hair out over the number of opportunities we had. There were several.”

Los Pumas crossed Australia’s 22-meter line six times and came away empty-handed. The problem had also appeared in the first match of the series in Jujuy, and it was repeated in Mendoza. A week earlier, Argentina had wasted seven such chances, while Australia showed sharply greater efficiency.

When you think about it, you want to tear your hair out over the number of opportunities we had. There were several.

· Pablo MateraMatera described his frustration over Argentina’s missed scoring chances.

Matera said Australia’s pressure also disrupted Argentina’s attacks out wide. “When we moved the ball wide with the backs, they came up to pressure us very strongly; of the three times we moved it wide, we lost it,” he said. “I don’t want to go into details. We have to be sharper in those moments and reduce unforced errors. This is a young team, there is still a lot ahead and a lot to improve.”

When we moved the ball wide with the backs, they came up to pressure us very strongly; of the three times we moved it wide, we lost it.

· Pablo MateraHe explained how Australia’s defensive pressure disrupted Argentina’s attacks.

Statistics cited from RugbyPass showed that Argentina spent 49% of its possession time in the opponent’s 22-meter area, compared with 39% for Australia in the corresponding part of the field. Argentina scored four tries, but each required sustained work, while Australia produced its four tries more quickly. The final sequence again exposed Argentina’s lack of clarity near the line, as the team struggled to make use of possession while playing with two fewer men because of yellow cards to Santiago Carreras and Lucio Cinti.

I don’t want to go into details. We have to be sharper in those moments and reduce unforced errors. This is a young team, there is still a lot ahead and a lot to improve.

· Pablo MateraMatera identified precision and fewer unforced errors as areas for the young team to improve.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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