​Rhys Carre is showing himself to be nearly impossible to stop when he has the ball, but the try-scoring prop believes Wales took a backward step after their defeat to Argentina. Steve Tandy’s squad were edged 35-21 by the Pumas in San Juan in round two of the Nations Championship. Argentina emerged as convincing victors, bouncing back from a loss to Scotland, while Wales’ brief revival—bookended by wins against Italy and Fiji, sandwiched around a triumph over the Barbarians—came to an abrupt halt.
“Argentina performed better than they did last week, and we probably regressed a bit compared with Fiji, so it was ultimately disappointing,” Carre said. “We are still building and have put in some good performances recently, including three in a row before this, so while it’s a setback we knew the journey would be long.” He added: “Argentina are a great team, and if you’re not at 100%, they’ll likely get the better of you.”
Argentina offered Wales a reality check as Scotland delivered a dramatic 10-try thriller against a strong South Africa side. Pollock’s dazzling treble earlier in the season has strengthened his case to start, while Wales began by taking the lead through captain and hooker Dewi Lake from a driving line-out. After two Pumas tries, Wales were level again thanks to Carre’s straightforward carrying prowess. The Saracens prop then capped his performance by scoring his fifth try in six Tests with a finish from the second phase of a quick tap in the 22.
Carre has previously shown his goal-scoring touch, having landed a spectacular try in Dublin from long range. He has become a weapon for the Welsh attacking unit, often executing training-ground moves off penalties, and has crossed the line against France and Scotland during the Six Nations. “A lot of credit should go to [attack coach] Matt Sherratt for placing me in those positions,” Carre explained. “I’m just glad I can do what I can for the team—we’ve run that move a few times and scored from it, so I’m not complaining.”
Following the gruelling journey from Cardiff to San Juan for the Argentina match, Wales now head to Durban to face South Africa on Saturday, 18 July (16:40 BST). “The travel is what it is; we’re not going to use it as an excuse,” Carre said. “They’re the best team in the world, and we promise to give it everything we’ve got and see what happens.”