​The Welsh resurgence clung on, but when it came to the winning sequence, Wales’ red-shirted march was halted at two as Argentina delivered a reality check with a five-try victory. It says something about the challenge facing Steve Tandy’s men that they probably felt relief the scoreboard wasn’t even more lopsided after being second best for much of the Test at Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario in San Juan. With 20 minutes remaining, the Pumas were on the cusp of running riot, just as so many of Wales’ opponents have done in the past three years as Wales endured a record stretch of losses—18 in a row—and collected three consecutive Six Nations wooden spoons. Yet even after Argentina’s surge, Wales steadied in the final quarter and prevented their opponents from feasting on their remnant chances.
Wales might have even scraped two bonus points with a late try, and given that Wales missed 31 tackles to Argentina’s eight, such a possibility would have seemed almost mythical. Argentina, though flawed, deserved a result that could be termed a morale-boosting success after their disappointing home defeat to Scotland seven days earlier. Still, after five tries in the first hour, Wales were clearly playing catch-up and were overwhelmed at the ruck, allowing numerous line breaks and expending a great deal of energy.
The match began promisingly for Wales as Dewi Lake crashed over in the fourth minute from a driving maul, signaling Wales’ superiority in that facet—an edge they had shown against Fiji previously but which felt especially meaningful against Argentina, the masters of the art. Yet soon after, Argentina were level as No. 8 Joaquin Oviedo, who would end up as the match’s standout, produced a superb line and moved ahead following a Justo Picardo try that will be remembered for Bautista Delguy’s airborne finish on the wing. Argentina looked dominant, but Wales showed they possess a resilience and a spark, with Rhys Carre adding to his growing tally, taking his five-try return in six games into new territory. The Saracens prop stands out as the brightest light of the year for Tandy.
Had Wales managed to cling to the lead until the break, there would have been more chances, but Argentina added two rapid scores in the early second half to effectively convert the contest into a game of damage limitation for the visitors. Wales fought with courage to “draw” the second half and demonstrated they can close out a match and bring on a bench capable of contributing. Still, the looming prospect of a trip to South Africa next weekend casts a dark cloud over their momentum. Expect Louis Rees-Zammit to be recalled to the fray, even though his replacement, Ellis Mee, performed admirably under the high ball, and it remains curious that the highly capable Jac Morgan did not wear the captain’s armband, despite Dewi Lake’s industry at hooker.
In truth, the result underlines both the reach of Argentina’s attack and the ongoing evolution of Wales under Tandy. They showed grit and defense in the latter stages, but the early dominance of Argentina and their ability to take advantage of Welsh errors defined the match. The Welsh camp will surely take heart from the late resilience and the continued emergence of players like Carre, while recognizing that the next challenge—against stronger southern opposition in South Africa—will demand even greater discipline, physicality, and precision if they are to convert potential into a sustained winning run.