The electric Mateo Carreras scored a hattrick of tries for Argentina as Los Pumas’ defeated a courageous Japan to set up a last eight encounter with Wales in Marseille, next Saturday. 

Played in Nantes, this match was phenomenal fun, littered with tries, eight in total and a constantly seesawing scoreboard.

Argentina always had more of a sense of control throughout, though, keeping the Brave Blossoms just about at bay to book in for a third knockout appearance on the Rugby World Cup stage.

Having lost their opener, abysmally, to fourteen-man England, huge credit should go to Los Pumas’ for powering back to record three crucial wins and finish as convincing runners-up in Pool D.

At stake was a quarterfinal clash with Wales was the prize on offer, an unforgiving tournament exit awaiting the losers, though, as the knockouts began prematurely to conclude Pool D’s standings.

Argentina were sharper to start and caught Japan’s defence dozing inside two minutes, gaping holes split open by a lung busting burst of acceleration by centre, Santiago Chocoberas who cantered in under the posts, Emiliano Boffelli’s conversion completing the brilliant beginning.

Bathed under the Nantes sunlight, the Stade de la Beaujoire crowd had a gripping encounter to enjoy early on, Japan wresting themselves back at a scrum to go on the offensive themselves.

Los Pumas’ set an almighty physicality and pace with their strong carrying, the men in navy flying into tackles and the breakdown with vigour.

Not that Jamie Joseph’s Japan were holding back either, scrum half Naito Saito almost creating their first score, a costly Michael Leitch fumble proving to scupper that move, though.

Soon enough however, the hatches holding Argentina’ defence together, buckled by a blinding turn of speed from lock, Amato Fakatava who then had the audacity to chip ahead, gather a favourable bounce and finish a fantastic individual effort.

His third, and most significant, try of this tournament, converted by Rikiya Matsuda brought us back level, 7-7, after a terrifically entertaining first quarter.

Midway through the first half, Japan were reduced a man as flanker, Pieter Labuschagne received a yellow card for a high tackle with Francisco Gomez Kodela, and a huge opportunity beckoned for the Pumas to make their player advantage count on the score board.

Boffelli wafted a long-range penalty wide, but Argentina soon struck.

Initiated by a tremendous take under the high ball by full-back, Juan Cruz Mullia, he led a scintillating break up field, fed Kodela who in turn released the rapid wide man, Mateo Carreras on his left, the Newcastle Falcons player scorching into the corner with a clean take and fine burst of speed.

The conversion went wide as the margin stayed at a narrow, five points.

Relocating his range, Boffelli blasted a penalty over to take Argentina one score clear.

That slab of breathing room was swiftly eradicated as the Brave Blossoms, now restored to a full fifteen, carved Argentina open.

Through the twinkling feet of reinstated winger, Saosaia Fifita weaving his way to the try line, drawing the defenders in too tight and popping a perfect pass up to Saito, the scrum half scoring Japan’s second in what was fast emerging as a try-fest thriller.

Matsuda added the extras to conclude a breathless first forty minutes, which saw Michael Chieka’s squad ahead and on course for the knockouts, but by just one, precious point.

Crucially, Cheika’s troops used the interval to reset and got the all-important first score of the second half.

Persistent forwards pressure eventually saw the bull spun out to Carreras who shimmied Fifita wonderfully and dotted down, Boffelli curling the conversion over the posts to steer the Pumas eight points in front again, back down the path to the quarterfinals.

Unerringly, Matsuda cut the gap back to five points with a penalty as both sides’ tournament hopes continued to seesaw uncertainly in the balance, Nantes being treated to an all-out rugby-fest!

Argentinian nerves became even more frayed in the fifty-sixth minute, Lomano Lemeki landing a lovely long-range drop goal to make it a nail-biting two-point margin entering the final twenty minutes.

By the hour, a decisive moment came, Boffelli sent breezing in for his side’s foruth try, and bonus point, after more Mallia magic freed the winger to score his second Rugby World Cup try.

Taking his tally to fourteen with his third successful conversion, Boffelli also replenished the Pumas’ position of strength, nine points to the good.

Piling the pressure on, the Brave Blossoms refused to go quietly, substitute Jone Naikabula surging his legs and finishing well in the corner, Matsuda adding a conversion of the utmost composure to make it a two-point game once again.

Instantly though, and encapsulating the emotional entertainment of the game, the unstoppable Carreras electrically chopped around tiring tackles to dot down his hat trick try, the experienced Nicolas Sanchez scoped over the additional two as Cheika and co could relish retaking a position of control going into the final ten minutes.

Sanchez slotted a peerless penalty five minutes from the end as Los Pumas’ supporter started to celebrate, a last eight tie with Wales set up.

For Japan, it won’t be successive knockout stage appearances but another display full of bright attacking and spirit means they will be back to fight another day, for sure.

Argentina the victors of today’s winner-takes-all tie and their prize is a quarterfinal clash with Wales, next Saturday afternoon, in Marseille.

Wales scored six tries to see off a spirited Georgian side to march on to a World Cup Quarter Final. A hat-trick from Louis Rees Zammit would help wales to a 43-19 win in Nantes this afternoon, as they have guaranteed top spot in Pool C.

The opening ten minutes of this game was dominated by a kicking battle between the sides, as both looked for territorial control. A Mexican wave in the crowd in the 7^th minute summed up what neutrals thought of the opening phases of this game. The sun in Nantes was proving to be a factor, with players from both sides using their hands as sun visors whilst attempting to track the ball in the air.

As the games of kicking tennis settled, Wales looked to put Georgia under pressure in their own 22’. Scuppering a 3 on 1 chance in the 14^th minute, they would make amends on penalty advantage just one minute later. Wales looked to utilise their driving maul off the back of a successful lineout as they drove towards the Georgian try line.

Falling short, Tomos Williams spun the ball out to oncoming runners. Two phases later, Tomas Francis would be passed the ball at speed, with the prop carrying his momentum to power over the whitewash. Wales made amends for their earlier mistake with a simple try scored efficiently.

Sam Costelow, who was brought into the starting line-up following the late withdrawal of Gareth Anscombe, added the extra two points from the conversion.

Wales would double their lead just seven minutes later off the back of another lineout; Wales clearly using their lineout as a platform to attack from. With another driving maul being stopped just short of the line, Tomos Williams opted to spin the ball wide straight away to Sam Costelow.

The 22-year-old fly-half spotted a rushing defence and chose to delay his pass, committing the defence, before putting the ball on a plate for Liam Williams who now had an easy run to the try line. Davit Niniashvili attempted to tackle Williams, but the full-back was able to use his momentum to break the tackle and dot over for an easy score.

A conversion and a penalty kick from Costelow would add to his tally in this game and bring Wales’ lead up to 17 points with half an hour played.

Georgia would respond well to the early scores from Wales and looked to claw back some momentum in this game. 17-0 was a rather flattering scoreline for Wales after 30 minutes of rugby. Georgia would make their first visit to the Welsh 22’ count as they scored a try underneath the posts from their captain, Merab Sharikadze. Taking a note from Wales’ playbook, they looked to use the lineout maul as a weapon, although it looked as if this would be to no avail.

All of a sudden, flanker Beka Saginadze appeared with ball in hand running at full speed towards the Welsh defence. After a number of phases, Georgia’s outside centre ran a hard line and released a late inside pop pass to centre partner Merab Sharikadze who was poorly tackled by George North short of the line, only for the captain to stretch his right arm over the line to score Georgia’s first try of this game. A conversion from Luka Matkava would cut Wales’ lead to ten points as Georgia grew into this game by the end of the half.

After their score Georgia looked dangerous, and caused Wales a whole host of issues, but luckily for the Welsh half-time was just around the corner. After winning a penalty for a neck roll, Sam Costelow kicked the ball out of play to call time on the first half. Wales led 17-7 at half-time, but looked poor and sloppy after their two-week break. Warren Gatland cut a rather frustrated figure as the cameras panned to the Wales manager at the half time whistle.

It was Wales who were first off the mark in this second half, as they were gifted a try-scoring opportunity in the 43^rd minute thanks to a loose pass from Giorgi Kveseladze which bounced its way to Taulupe Faletau. The number 8 spotted the electric Louis Rees Zammit to his right and passed to the winger, who had one of the easiest scores of his career as he sped in for a try from halfway as Georgia had no cover in the backfield. Very few players in the world would have caught Rees-Zammit. Costelow added the extra two points to give Wales the best possible start to the second half.

Georgia responded well to this early blunder, and would go on to dominate the next fifteen to twenty minutes. After a strong start to this game, Wales looked poor and unstructured and took their foot off the gas.

Georgia would get their reward for an excellent period of play, as they scored a try through substitute hooker Vano Karkadze off the back of another lineout maul. After a series of pick and go drives, the hooker squeezed over the try line to get his country’s second try of this game. Matkava would score the conversion to bring Wales’ lead down to ten points.

Just two minutes later, Georgian danger man Davit Niniashvili, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until this point, got his hands on the ball with space in font of him. The winger ran at speed at the Welsh defence and found a gap between Gareth Davies and Nicky Smith as he produced a hot step to split the defence wide open. Niniashvili put on the afterburners and crossed over for a brilliant score to bring Georgia within 5 points of Wales. Matkava missed the difficult kick, but Georgia were right back in this game.

Wales would respond within a matter of minutes as Louis Rees Zammit scored his second try of the game thanks to a brilliant chip over the top from Liam Williams. The ball bounced perfectly into the hands of Rees-Zammit whose score would all-but seal the win for Wales as they secured a bonus-point earning try. Another great kick from Sam Costelow would bring Wales’ points tally to 31 points.

Davit Niniashvili and Taine Basham were both shown yellow cards in the 70^th minute following a scuffle on the touchline in which both squads and substitutes were involved.

Louis Rees Zammit completed his hat-trick in the 74^th minute after scoring a questionable try in the 74^th minute as he chased his own chip over the heads of the Georgian defence. Rees Zammit attempted to regather the ball, but his boot and the boot of Demur Tapladze looked to have kicked the ball out of play.

A try was awarded, much to the anger and confusion of the crowd, and a TMO check was not conducted despite video evidence suggesting the winger did not ground the ball. The crowd were very angry at this decision, and they certainly had a case. Costelow would miss his first conversion kick from the following effort, but Wales had the win wrapped up easily.

George North scored a consolation try right at the death to bring Wales to 41 points, with Costelow converting the following kick.

Wales rode their luck numerous times in this game, but end up with another bonus point victory that sees them sit top of Pool C with 19/20 available points. They will finish as Pool Winners, their opponents in the Quarter Finals to be discovered soon.

In Nantes, a spirited Chile said farewell to the World Cup as Argentina set up a tantalising shootout final group game with Japan, courtesy of a BP win and seven superb tries scored.

Argentina knew nothing less than a victory would suffice if they were to maintain qualification hopes going into their final group game with Japan next weekend.

But it was Chile who began brighter, Santiago Videla smashing a long-range penalty just shy of the posts inside only three minutes.

Concluding a debut campaign on a major tournament stage, Chile were then having to defend, Nicolas Sanchez pulling the strings for Argentina from fly half on his centurion of caps.

So, fittingly, the opening score came via Sanchez, a sharp line break on the right flank, a nifty one-two with winger Rodrigo Isgro freeing Sanchez to sprint into the corner, a superb touchline conversion taking his tournament tally to ten and Argentina off to a flyer.

Sanchez slotted a penalty to increase that haul as Chile struggled to settle.

Before the twenty-minute mark, Los Pumas had further away as they kicked to the corner, Agustin Creevy’s throw to the lineout was good and Chile had no answers to a steady, well conducted rumbling maul, back rower, Juan Martin Gonzalez the man over the whitewash.

An extra two points from Sanchez made it 17-0 and a long way back, already, for Chile.

Indeed, a rampant Argentina swiftly notched their third try, the experienced Creevy dotting off another rampant maul drive to score in the corner, Sanchez landing a fourth successful kick of the day.

Not everything went for Michael Cheika’s men though, Igros sin binned for a high tackle on Rodrigo Fernandez, earning him ten minutes on the sideline.

Facundo Isa almost bagged the bonus point before half time, the number eight surging through only to be denied a clean grounding by superb defence from Inaki Ayarza.

Under the Nantes sunshine, Ayarza accelerated up field but became isolated as Chile’s most threatening attack fizzled out.

Six minutes after the interval, the bonus point was secured for Los Pumas, Juan Imhoff jinking forward and finding full-back, Martin Bogado, who on debut, scythed straight through a scattered defence for try number four, Sanchez’s conversion taking them past thirty.

Chile thought they had ended their wait for a try after being held scoreless by England when hooker, Augusto Bohme, burst over from a lineout but the TMO disallowed it for a forward pass from Clemente Saavedra, much to the chagrin of the many Chile fans inside the stadium.

Redemption though went the way of Isgro, gliding inside and applying the speed to score under the sticks, Sanchez bagging himself a fifth conversion of the day to make it 38-0.

The sixth try swiftly followed, Gonzalez getting it having been found in acres of space out wide, the flanker furrowing in for his second try, bagging a brace as Sanchez landed a superb sixth conversion to take his tally to fifteen for the day.

Seven minutes from the end though, Chile bowed out in style, replacement hooker, Tomas Dussailant bundling the ball over the line to cue passionate celebrations all over, consolation for the disallowed try earlier in the half.

Cheika’s men however finished with a flourish as their squad depth told, replacement hooker Ignacio Ruiz powering over and Sanchez’ replacement, Santiago Carreras converting.

The substitute fly half went one better to round off proceedings, galloping in for try number seven, which he himself converted to complete the contest, 59-5.

This BP win sets up a shootout winner-takes-all tie against Japan next Sunday for Argentina, both sides knowing that a victory there will see them advance out of the group, into the last eight.

Chile’s debut World Cup ends here, but they will hope to be back, having provided some sparkly moments across their four games.

For the Pumas, a perfect way to proceed into their make-or-break clash with Japan, here in Nantes, again next Sunday, qualification for both at stake.

Ireland have secured a comfortable 59-16 win over Tonga this evening at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, an evening where Johnny Sexton made history becoming Ireland's all-time record points scorer. 

Tadgh Beirne, Caelan Doris, Mack Hansen and Johnny Sexton touched down for the men in green in the first half, with Vaea Fifita hitting back for Tonga on the stroke of half-time.

After the break, tries from James Lowe, a quickfire double from Bundee Aki and Rob Herring added further misery to Tonga who scored a solitary penalty in the second half as they struggled to cope with Ireland.

Ireland started the game off strongly, camped deep in Tongan 22. There were some huge hits from the men in red as they fought to shut Ireland out.

However, it was a matter of time before they conceded a penalty and Ireland were put ahead with a Jonny Sexton penalty.

The opening exchanges were intense, and Tonga held their own in terms of physicality. After a penalty was conceded by Ireland in their own half, William Havili stepped up and launched a superb kick from 43 metres to level the scores.

Ireland regained the ascendancy, with Caelan Doris barrelling his way through several bodies and feeding Beirne, who in turn carries red jerseys over the line as he stretched out and touches down. Sexton added the extras.

Tonga hit back straight away as Havili landed another penalty from 49 metres out. 

Doris was the next to touch down for Ireland, taking the ball from the rolling maul and driving his way over the line to put some daylight between the sides.

Ireland’s dominance in terms of both territory and possession continued and they were rewarded when Hansen picked up Sexton's bouncing pass on the 22 and danced past four Tonga shirts before diving over for a superb try.

On 33 minutes Ireland scored again, this time Garry Ringrose was the architect, making a superb break and Sexton, at the age of 38, was there to collect the pass and race over untouched to become Ireland's all-time record points scorer.

Tonga grew into the game as they approached the break and Peter O'Mahony was shown a yellow card by Wayne Barnes as Tonga won a number of penalties right on the Irish line.

Another scrum right under the posts and former All Black Fifita managed to get a run on the Irish line and Doris couldn’t stop his opposite number from two metres out.

Havili continued his 100% rate from the tee to keep his side in the game as the teams went in at the break.

Tonga started the second half with intent, scoring another penalty, but gradually tired and struggled to hold out the Irish side who looked energised after a number of substitutions.

James Lowe did well to score with a crash ball off the back of a maul followed by a quickfire double from Bundee Aki who put in another superb performance.

Ireland moved up through the gears and finished strongly, showing greater urgency in the final quarter.  A last minute try from Rob Herring capped off an impressive display.