Argentina vs Tonga result: Pumas stutter to bonus-point win thanks to Julian Montoya hat-trick

Argentina 28-12 Tonga: Hooker scores three tries in 26 minutes but Pumas will be more concerned with the 54 pointless minutes that followed as Tonga took control of the Pool C encounter

Julian Montoya’s 26-minute hat-trick saw Argentina explode out the blocks to secure a bonus-point victory over Tonga, but the way they laboured through 54 pointless minutes to the final whistle will not have done anything to worry next weekend’s opponents in England.

Having lost their Rugby World Cup opener to France last Saturday, Argentina needed a response and produced the required one to move above Les Bleus in second place in Pool C, albeit playing a game more.

Montoya’s hat-trick was a big part of that, combining with wing Santiago Carreras to take a 28-0 lead in 26 minutes, but that’s as good as it got for Los Pumas. Instead, the rest of the match was all about Tongan resilience, with full-back Telusa Veainu scoring both of their tries and another ridiculous refereeing decision costing them one more.

Last Sunday Tonga made England sweat for 77 minutes in the Sapporo Dome heat before they were able to guarantee the bonus point. In 26 brutal minutes, Pumas hooker Julian Montoya nearly achieved it single-handedly.

Montoya bagged a rapid hat-trick inside the first half an hour, becoming the first hooker to achieve such a feat at a World Cup since Ireland captain Keith Wood in 1999. With his try I the defeat by France last weekend, he incredibly leads the try-scoring charts at Japan 2019 – but it could barely have been made easier for him.

The opening score stemmed from ambition outweighing opportunity. Telusa Veainu, the Leicester Tigers full-back recalled into the side in one of four changes, had to retreat deep to collect the ball some 10 metres out of his own line, and was immediately faced by a wall of blue that he attempted to run around. He couldn’t, and from the holding on penalty, Argentina made their intentions clear. Turning down the kick as goal, Benjamin Urdapilleta – making his World Cup debut at the age of 33 – sent the ball to the corner. The Pumas were here for a maximum haul.

It was smart from Argentina, but in truth Tonga did not make it hard for them. Guido Petti brought the ball down, fellow lock Tomas Lavanini popped the ball to scrum-half Tomas Cubelli and he released Montoya down the sideline to score unopposed.

The driving maul was proving a problem for Tonga, as 10 minutes later Argentina had the chance to return to the corner from a collapsing penalty. This time they elected to keep it tight, drive Tonga over their line, and when the heads popped up, it was Montoya’s with the ball once more.

Tonga had not woken up, and three minutes later they proved the architects of their own downfall. Juggling a loose ball, fly-half James Faivia – promoted to the starting line-up after all-time record points scorer Kurt Morath’s tournament-ending throat injury – threw a ridiculous blind pass behind him in the hope of finding Tongan hands. He didn’t, and all it allowed was for the Argentina wing Santiago Carrerras to gather and race home from halfway.

Argentina though they had the bonus point wrapped up inside 24 minutes, only for flanker Marcos Kremer to be deemed held up – not that he agreed. It would come two minutes later though, and as Argentina peppered the Tongan line, who else but Montoya would steam over the defence to score his third of the match and fourth of the tournament.

Julian Montoya scored the opening try for Argentina (AP)

By that point, 28-0 to the good, the contest looked worryingly over. But Tonga started to wake up, and almost immediately managed to produce a response.

On their first foray into the Argentine 22, they left with seven points. As Urdapilleta rushed up on Veainu, the talented back side-stepped the fly-half with ease before evading Matias Moroni to get Tonga on the board, with Sonatane Takulua adding the conversion.

Julian Montoya celebrates the first of his three tries against Tonga (Getty)

Tonga could and should have cut the deficit further by half-time, only for a controversial decision from referee Jaco Peyper to deny them. It has been no secret that officiating is under the spotlight at this tournament following a number of poor decisions, and Sione Kalamafoni can add hit name to the extensive list of players hard-done by. With Tonga on the attack after Morini conceded a penalty for playing the ball on the ground, Kalamafoni found himself in space and charging for the corner, only for Petti to smash him into touch with a shoulder-lead tackle. Replays appeared to confirm it, with a potential penalty try and yellow card the suitable punishment, yet between Peyper and TMO Rowan Kitt – the man who deemed Reece Hodge’s high tackle on Pecelu Yato last week to be legal – the officials deemed it a legal challenge and ended the half.

With 28 points on the board, the feeling was that if they wanted, Argentina could become the first team to clear 50 points this tournament. They didn’t score one more.

Telusa Veainu produced a delightful finish to score his second try (AP)

Tonga really grew into the game, and although the comeback was never really on, they seized control of the match in the final quarter. Veainu scored his second of the match in the 66th minute thanks to a beautiful offload from Cooper Vuna, who sent a pass out the back of his hand for the full-back to dive for the corner and touch down in mid-air.

But if Argentina were going to use the second half to send a message to England, they failed, and in truth there was not a lot on show here that would have Eddie Jones and his side too worried.