Pablo Matera blow for Argentina ahead of Wales clash

ACROBATIC: Mateo Carreras of Argentina scores a try against Japan. Pic: INPHO/Juan Gasparini

Rugby World Cup Pool D

Japan 27 Argentina 39

Argentina look set to be without influential back-row forward Pablo Matera for their Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash against Wales.

Matera went off midway through the first-half of Argentina's 39-27 Pool D victory over Japan that secured a last-eight tie in Marseille next Saturday.

"It doesn't look good," Pumas head coach Michael Cheika said.

"It is a hamstring injury definitely and by the look of him now, I would say definitely it (the tournament) would be over.

"But you know, it's never over until it is, so we will see what happens."

Argentina and Wales will meet for the first time in World Cup action since the 1999 tournament.

And Wales, through to a fourth successive quarter-final, will start as favourites after topping their group with 19 points out of a possible 20.

Cheika added: "As you go along you've got to get better. One thing we did do today is we scored some tries - we got a few more under our belt.

"But our defence wasn't as good as it has been - we sort of traded one for another.

"I think what changes now is the mentality. I feel like some of our boys, if you look at the crowd here today, so many Argentineans who have put their savings together and come for this week, next week. I think they've felt a bit of that pressure.

"Now everyone is happy, the crowd is happy, they are into it, they are ripe for the next stage.

"Maybe we can just chill out and go for it, play some good footy and we will see where the cards fall, see how we go."

Scorers for Japan: Tries - Fakatava, Saito, Naikabula. Cons - Matsuda 3. Pens - Matsuda. Drop Goals - Lemeki.

Scorers for Argentina: Tries - Chocobares, M. Carreras 3, Boffelli. Cons - Boffelli 3, Sanchez. Pens - Boffelli, Sanchez.

Japan: Lemeki; Matsushima, Riley, Nakamura, Fifita; Matsuda, Saito; Inagaki, Horie, Gu; Cornelsen, Fakatava; Leitch, P. Labuschagne, Himeno.

Replacements: Ai Valu for Gu (43), Millar for Inagaki (48), Sakate for Horie (48), Dearns for Fakatava (51), Naikabula for Matsushima (60), Yamanaka for Nakamura (70), Saumaki for P. Labuschagne (70).

Argentina: Mallia, Boffelli, Cinti Luna, Chocobares, M. Carreras, S. Carreras, Bertranou, Gallo, Montoya, Gomez Kodela, Petti, Lavanini, Matera, Kremer, Gonzalez.

Replacements: Bello for Gomez Kodela (43), Rubiolo for Lavanini (48), Sanchez for S. Carreras (59), Velez for Bertranou (59), Sclavi for Gallo (67), Moroni for Cinti Luna (70), Creevy for Montoya (78).

Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand).