Wales lose first game of Tandy reign as Argentina seal record win

Autumn Nations Series

Wales (14) 28

Tries: T Williams, Lake, Morgan, Murray Cons: Edwards 3, Evans

Argentina (31) 52

Tries: Delgado, Prisciantelli 2, Benitez Cruz, M Carreras, Delguy, Grondona, Cons: S Carreras 7 Pen: Carreras

New Wales head coach Steve Tandy suffered an opening defeat in his first game as Argentina powered to a record win in a 11-try thriller at Principality Stadium.

It was a 10th successive home defeat for Wales, who also lost inspirational captain Jac Morgan to a serious shoulder injury.

Flanker Morgan suffered the problem in the act of scoring one of Wales' four tries, while number eight Aaron Wainwright was also forced off.

Argentina crossed for seven tries with fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli's double supplemented by scores from prop Pedro Delgado, scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz, wings Mateo Carreras and Bautista Delguy and replacement Santiago Grondona, while full-back Santiago Carreras kicked 17 points.

Wales responded with tries from scrum-half Tomos Williams, hooker Dewi Lake, Morgan and full-back Blair Murray.

Wales centre Ben Thomas was shown a costly a first-half yellow card for kicking out at Argentina flanker Pablo Matera and can count himself lucky not to have been shown red for the reckless act.

The second half also saw the international rugby return of Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit after a two-year absence.

In front of a crowd of 50,185, Argentina's victory should be no surprise after they arrived in Cardiff as firm favourites.

Los Pumas were ranked sixth in the world prior to the game, six places higher than Wales.

Argentina enjoyed some outstanding performances in the Rugby Championship, including historic victories over Australia and New Zealand.

Felipe Contepomi's battle-hardened matchday squad also had 944 caps between them - 400 more than Wales.

The experience and class told as Argentina celebrated their most points scored against Wales and a record margin of victory.

It is now 27 months or 827 days since Wales won an international game in Cardiff, a triumph against England in a World Cup warm-up match in August 2023.

Wales had ended an abysmal record run of 18 straight defeats with victory in their last summer Test in Japan, so Tandy was coming in with a fresh slate.

He became the first Welshman to become the men's permanent head coach since Gareth Jenkins left office in 2007.

Tandy has risen from the small village of Tonmawr with more than 300 of the village side's supporters travelling to Cardiff to cheer on one of its favourite sons.

Tandy left his previous role as Scotland defence coach for this challenge and has had to cope with the latest off-the-field turmoil with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) announcing they were planning to cut a men's professional side, leaving players worried about their job security.

If Tandy did not know the magnitude of the challenge he has taken on before this first game, he certainly will now.

Tandy made his mark by bringing back Saracens prop Rhys Carre into the starting side.

British and Irish Lions duo Morgan and scrum-half Williams returned, while centre Max Llewellyn and locks Adam Beard and Dafydd Jenkins were recalled after missing Wales' summer tour.

There was a frantic start, but a careless offside penalty conceded by Jenkins allowed Argentina the platform for Delgado to open the scoring.

The visitors followed up with an incisive counter-attacking try. Wales wing Tom Rogers tapped a high ball back to Pumas flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez who fed Mateo Carreras. The wing sprinted away before his clever chip kick was dived on by Prisciantelli.

Wales responded with a fine flowing move as Rogers made a searing midfield break before linking up with captain Morgan, who produced a superb offload to scrum-half Williams.

Wales' tails were up and they levelled the scores when hooker Lake powered over.

The hosts' recovery was halted when Wales were reduced to 14 men as Thomas was shown to the sin-bin for kicking out at Matera, who had been holding the leg of the Welsh centre.

It was reviewed by the French foul play officer Eric Gauzins and because there was no evidence Thomas' foot made contact with Matera's head, it remained a yellow card.

It was a decision Argentina captain Julian Montoya disagreed with by describing the action as "reckless".

With Wales down to 14 men, Carreras slotted over a penalty before Benitez Cruz darted over.

Thomas returned, but Wales conceded a try straight from the kick-off with Matera bursting through and producing a pinpoint left-foot kick for wing Carreras to collect and score.

Wales trailed by 17 points at half-time before Delguy crossed early in the second-half with Williams shown a yellow card for taking a man out off the ball.

Rees-Zammit was among the early second-half replacements as he came on for his first international appearance since the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Argentina in October 2023 in Marseille.

The Bristol Bears wing experienced an 18-month spell in the NFL at the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars before returning to rugby.

Wales were inspired again as Morgan powered over, but injured himself in the process, with the Ospreys flanker replaced by Leicester number eight Olly Cracknell who won his first cap aged 31.

Fly-half Dan Edwards almost scored a brilliant individual try before being denied by a desperate tap tackle.

Rees-Zammit then almost collected his own chip kick before agonisingly knocking on with the try line begging.

Argentina demonstrated a more ruthless edge as player-of-the-match Prisciantelli sauntered over for his second score.

Murray dived over for the hosts before Grondona completed the scoring and ensured Argentina topped the half-century.

Wales: Murray; Rogers, Llewellyn, B Thomas, Adams; Edwards, T Williams; Carre, Lake, Assiratti, D Jenkins, Beard, Mann, Morgan (capt), Wainwright.

Replacements: Belcher, Smith, Griffin, F Thomas, Cracknell, Hardy, J Evans, Rees-Zammit.

Sin-bin: Thomas (27)

Argentina: S Carreras; Delguy, Piccardo, Chocobares, M Carreras; Prisciantelli, Benitez Cruz; Vivas, Montoya (capt), Delgado, Petti, Kremer, Matera, JM Gonzalez, Oviedo.

Replacements: Ruiz, Gallo, Rapetti, Alemanno, Grondona, Moyano, Mallia, Isgro.

Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)

Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Anthony Woodthorpe (England)

TMO: Quinton Immelman (South Africa)

FPRO: Eric Gauzins (France).