New Era Begins With Familiar Disappointment for Wales
Welsh rugby's fresh start under new head coach Steve Tandy began in disastrous fashion as Argentina secured their biggest ever victory over Wales, running out 52-28 winners at a sparsely populated Principality Stadium. The comprehensive defeat marks Wales' 19th loss in their last 20 Tests, leaving supporters questioning when the team's fortunes will truly change.
Controversy and Injury Compound Welsh Misery
The match was overshadowed by two significant incidents that will dominate post-match discussions. Wales centre Ben Thomas received a yellow card after appearing to kick out towards Pablo Matera's head during a ruck, though the decision was controversially not upgraded to red after bunker review. Former referee Nigel Owens argued Thomas shouldn't have been carded at all, while many fans felt the punishment was too lenient.
More concerning for Wales was the sight of captain Jac Morgan dislocating his shoulder while scoring a try. Tandy confirmed the back-row forward was "not looking good for the rest of the autumn" and that Wales would be calling up a replacement. Morgan had been one of Wales' brightest performers before his premature exit.
Match Analysis: Where It Went Wrong for Wales
Argentina started explosively with two early tries, though Wales briefly rallied to level the scores through touchdowns from Tomos Williams and Dewi Lake. The game turned decisively during Thomas's sin-bin period, with Argentina capitalising on their numerical advantage to regain control.
Despite Morgan's effort, Wales couldn't sustain the fightback, with Argentina's Mateo Carreras delivering a standout performance throughout the afternoon. The visitors finished strongly with two late tries from Gerónimo Prisciantelli and Rodrigo Grondona to complete the record victory.
The match saw the return of Louis Rees-Zammit to international rugby after his NFL pursuit, with the wing coming off the bench in the 45th minute and providing some attacking impetus. Full-back Blair Murray also showed positive signs in a otherwise disappointing team performance.
Looking Ahead: No Quick Fix for Welsh Rugby
Tandy acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing his team, though he pointed to mitigating factors including this being Wales' first match since July, compared to Argentina's recent Rugby Championship involvement. The new coach now faces a crucial test against Japan next Saturday, where improvement will be demanded.
The sight of thousands of empty seats at the Principality Stadium spoke volumes about current Welsh rugby sentiment. As one fan remarked before the game: "You don't like to say you're Welsh sometimes" - a sentiment that this record defeat will have done little to alleviate.
