​Argentine rugby has long taken pride in its fearsome scrum, and on Saturday evening in San Juan, Wales will face the Pumas’ renowned set-piece power at 20:10 BST. The two teams met more recently in November when Argentina handed Wales a 52-28 defeat as Steve Tandy’s tenure began with a record win for the Pumas, who crossed the line seven times. Now they meet again in the Nations Championship, with Wales’ newly appointed scrum coach James tasked with neutralising Argentina’s formidable forward platform.
“Argentina still pride themselves on the set-piece, and we know it’s going to be a big challenge coming,” James said. Wales are returning to Cardiff after a defeat that prompted questions, while the team prepares to confront a Pumas outfit renowned for its scrum superiority.
In response to questions about why Argentina enjoys scrum time so much, James offered a candid assessment: “I think it’s a bit of a front-row male chest-out thing, isn’t it? In fairness, our lads are loving scrummaging at the moment. We’re in a good place, but after last week’s loss to Scotland, we know Argentina will come out hard and fast. So we’re ready for the challenge. What I’ve told the players is not to overthink it or try to manufacture something themselves. We must stick to our process. You scrum as an eight, not as individuals—that’s the big message.”
Having beaten Fiji in Cardiff last weekend, Wales arrive at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario in north-west Argentina with an unbeaten Nations Championship record to defend as the second round of fixtures begins. The Welsh side withstood an early physical examination from the Pacific Islanders to claim a convincing victory, marking back-to-back Test wins for the first time since the 2023 World Cup. Ospreys tighthead Ben Warren made his debut off the bench, and with seasoned prop Dillon Lewis back in the mix after a bid for international revival, Wales are building genuine front-row depth.
James praised the squad for their dedication over the past fortnight, noting, “The boys worked hard over the last couple of weeks, and Fiji’s forwards are big and powerful. To scrum the way we did made me very happy. If you don’t have a solid set-piece, you don’t really have a game.” He added that a strong scrum can be leveraged not only in attack but also as a tool to exit difficult phases. “We’re trying to build something here, so backing up last week’s result with another win ahead of Argentina is massive. If we don’t back up that performance, it means nothing.”
Wales now head back to the field with a renewed belief in their pack. The Nations Championship opener saw Wales triumph over Fiji in Cardiff, a result captured in photographs and memories and underscored by the team’s growing confidence on the road. James, who began his role on a temporary basis during the Six Nations after a freak injury to fellow Ospreys coach Duncan Jones, was given the permanent position just before the tour. He reflects on his journey with pride: “It’s been great. I had a taste of it during the Six Nations, but taking on the full-time role is terrific. We are building something.” James, who earned 66 Wales caps in his playing days, knows the current squad is laying foundations for sustained improvement as they travel to Argentina to test their mettle against a team that thrives on the set-piece.