[Source: Reuters]

Argentine loose forward Pablo Matera suffered a serious hamstring tear during Sunday’s Rugby World Cup win over Japan that leaves his participation in the rest of his tournament in serious jeopardy, team officials said.

The Argentina Rugby Union said on Monday he had suffered a grade three tear, which sometimes require surgery to be fixed, but made no mention of whether he was formally out of the tournament.

Matera suffered the injury in the second half of Argentina’s winner-takes-all final pool match against Japan at Nantes’ Stade de la Beaujoire, where they won 39-27 to make sure of a place in the quarter-finals.

Argentina next meet Wales in Marseille on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Matera, who was winning his 98th cap for Argentina on Sunday, has competed at three World Cups and is a key member of their squad.