Argentina boss salutes Nicolas Sanchez after superb Cardiff display

Argentina boss Daniel Hourcade saluted fly-half Nicolas Sanchez after his near-flawless display in the 43-20 victory over Ireland in the World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

The 26-year-old kicked 23 points and ran the backline with flair and intelligence in his 37th international appearance to earn the man of the match award at the Millennium Stadium.

"He played well, he carried out the game plan very well," said Hourcade.

"He's been so efficient. I'm very happy because he's a great player."

Sanchez also made 10 tackles, missing none, in a brutal Argentine defensive performance that frustrated Ireland.

"Sometimes we think of him as a defence player but he's an all-rounder," Hourcade said.

Sanchez, who plays for French club Toulon, is the tournament's leading scorer with 74 points in four matches and his clinical display against Ireland epitomised the ruthlessness that sent Argentina into their second World Cup semi-final.

"We play with our hearts in our hands and the players showed it on the pitch today," Hourcade said.

Argentina scored two tries in the first 10 minutes and, after Ireland fought back to trail 23-20 early in the second half, the Pumas crossed the line twice in the closing stages to seal their third win in four World Cup games against the Irish.

"We played very good rugby," Hourcade added. "We played the rugby we wanted to, not for 80 minutes but in particular at the beginning and at the end."

And Hourcade said that this victory has been a long time in the making.

"Since 2012 we started changing, we started building," Hourcade said. "It's not something that has just started, it goes a long way back.

"But since that moment it was even more important. Playing the best on a yearly basis requires a level of perfection that makes you get used to it.

"This kind of game becomes normal, plus we like it. This is how we feel about it and the players like carrying it through."

Winger Juan Imhoff scored the final try, his second, breaking into a huge smile as he burst clear of the Irish defence before touching down with an elaborate swallow dive.

And he particularly impressed Sky Sports expert Will Greenwood, who tweeted: "Juan Imhoff...What an unbelievable rugby player. Absolutely sensational."