Wales scored more points against Argentina than they have ever scored before, and Argentina scored more points against Wales than they have ever scored before. The Pumas' more was bigger than the Welsh more and Argentina won 50-44 at Estadio del Atletico in Tucuman on a sunny Saturday afternoon before a boisterous crowd who saw an amazing second half.
If the match had been a meal the trifle would certainly have come after a stodgy main course!
Nobody could have said that Wales would have been in with a chance of victory after being down 50-23 after 68 minutes -- nobody except the Welsh players who kept on playing and scored the next 21 points. It may well have been a victorious 28 but for a knock-on as they strove for victory.
There was one try, a barging effort in the first half, ten in the second. Ten!
The match threatened to be inordinately long. After long, slow anthems the first half went long, and largely slowly, petering out after 47 minutes when Felipe Contepomi goaled his fourth penalty goal to make the score at the break 19-9 to the Pumas.
Contepomi nearly opened the scored after half a minute when Wales passed from the first scrum and he intercepted to race thorough to score, but the referee ruled a knock-on.
Wales also had their moment with an "almost" try when Shane Williams gathered a wayward pass and went off to the goal-line, but Colin Charvis was penalised for off-side.
Passes that went astray were typical of the half -- and so were penalties against Charvis. There were three, the third earning him a yellow card at a time when the score was three kicks each. Nine-all.
As Charvis went off, the Pumas tapped and captain Gonzalo Longo, upright, surged over the line as little Ceri Sweeney did his best to stop him.
The referee referred the matter to the television match official for a lengthy look with umpteen re-looks before deciding that Longo had indeed scored.
The Welsh had actually had the best chances to score in the match. Where the Pumas tended to bash they were happy to scatter passes on the run. Their best attack was a counterattack. They went down the right. Then spun it left till Duncan Jones of the burning bush was tackled five metres from the line on the left wing. From the scrum Charvis charged at the line. Another two five-metre scrums ensured. Then the Welsh were held up over the line and there was another five-metre scrum. They went right but José María Núñez Piossek did a sharp bit of in-tackling and the Pumas turned the ball over to clear.
The Welsh came back on the attack and Haldane Luscombe dived over in the corner -- in vain as there had been a forward pass.
Fullback, Hernán Senillosa, claimed a fair catch. This was advanced when Dwayne Peel interfered. Felipe Contepomi launched a long, high up-and-under which, athletically, his brother Manuel caught.
After that cumbersome half on the greenish-brown field with its confetti fringe, the Pumas cut loose. From the Welsh kick-off the locks burst down the tight, the ball went left and Lucas Borges surged over far out via some splendid passing under pressure. 24-9.
From the kick-off the ball went loose. Borges snapped it up and raced the long race to the posts. 31-9.
The Pumas came back. The ball bobbed about behind their forwards. Felipe Contepomi scooped it up, ran through the Welsh pack, thumped Luscombe away in a hand-off and scored. 38-9, and the second half was only six minutes old. The Pumas had doubled their score in six minutes.
The Welsh were not done. Dwayne Peel tapped the second of two penalties in quick succession and darted over near the posts for the first Welsh try. 38-16.
The Pumas mauled strongly. The ball came back quickly and outside centre Martín Gaitán came sweeping round to score. 43-16.
From this point on both aides made as many substitutions as they had players, and the game became even looser.
Gavin Henson ran strongly, Tom Shanklin ran strongly and then Michael Owen popped a pass to Jason Forster, who scored. 43-23.
The Contepomi twins worked an elegant scissors for Manuel to sire under the crossbar. 50-23.
Wales tapped a penalty, Duncan Jones charged and Colin Charvis scored easily under the bar. 50-30.
The Pumas attacked but when a pass went astray near the Welsh line Shane Williams gathered and went speeding away.
Then replacement Nicky Robinson had the best centre break of the match and sent Sonny Parker over. 50-37 after 76 minutes which included injury time.
In injury time Shane Williams darted on the left. Luscombe had come from the right and chose a different angle and a path to the posts. 5-44 and the Welsh were a goal away from victory, but the Pumas managed to squeeze out the remaining scrap of injury time.
It was a remarkable match.
Man of the match: Michael Owen, Dwayne Peel, Gavin Henson and the darting duo of Shane Williams and Rhys Williams were stars for Wales. For the Pumas Patricio Albacete and Felipe Contepomi had fine matches but our choice was Matías Albina for his energy, speedy service and decision-making.
Moment of the match: The twins' scissors. It was perfect in its execution.
Villain of the match: I suppose it was Colin Charvis of the yellow card. While he was off the Pumas scored a try and twice destroyed the Welsh scrum.
The Teams:
Argentina: 1 Omar Hasan Jalil, 2 Federico Mendez, 3 Rodrigo Roncero, 4 Patricio Albacete, 5 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, 6 Martin Durand, 7 Lucas Ostiglia, 8 Gonzalo Longo Elia (c), 9 Matias Albina, 10 Felipe Contepomi, 11 Lucas Borges, 12 Manuel Contepomi, 13 Martin Gaitan, 14 Jose Nunez Piossek, 15 Hernan Senillosa
Reserves: Pablo Bouza, Pablo Cardinali, Eusebio Guinazu, Lucio Lopez Fleming, Jose Orengo, Martin Schusterman
Unused: German Bustos
Wales: 1 Duncan Jones, 2 Mefin Davies, 3 Adam Jones, 4 Brent Cockbain, 5 Gareth Llewellyn, 6 Colin Charvis (c), 7 Jason Forster, 8 Michael Owen, 9 Dwayne Peel, 10 Ceri Sweeney, 11 Shane Williams, 12 Gavin Henson, 13 Sonny Parker, 14 Haldane Luscombe, 15 Rhys Williams
Reserves: Huw Bennett, Gethin Jenkins, Nicky Robinson, Tom Shanklin, Mike Phillips, Darren Morris
Unused: Jonathan Thomas
Attendance: 15000
Referee: Courtney d.
Points Scorers:
Argentina
Tries: Gaitan M. 1, Contepomi M. 1, Borges L. 2, Contepomi F. 1, Longo Elia G.M. 1
Conv: Contepomi F. 4
Pen K.: Contepomi F. 4
Wales
Tries: Luscombe H. 1, Parker S. 1, Peel D. 1, Charvis C.L. 1, Forster J.A. 1
Conv: Henson G.L. 5, Henson G.L. 3
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