Argentina lose comfort of underdog tag against Wales

Having started Wales' slump in Marseille two years ago, Argentina now intend to deny Steve Tandy a morale-boosting start to life as national boss.

It has been 27 months and nine games since a Welsh Test win at Principality Stadium, a World Cup warm-up triumph against England.

Wales start a new era as underdogs in Cardiff on Sunday (15:10 GMT) when Tandy calls the shots for the first time.

The head coach bids to follow up July's success in Japan, which ended a humiliating 18-Test losing streak that began with the World Cup quarter-final defeat by the Pumas.

Standing in their way are an Argentina side ranked sixth in the world and who are fresh from a tense and tight Rugby Championship.

Under head coach Felipe Contepomi they have earned the right to come to Cardiff with confidence as a genuine top-level team.

Argentina start as favourites against Wales - something that would have been unthinkable a decade ago - before tougher assignments against Scotland and England.

Argentina won two of six Rugby Championship games - against New Zealand in Buenos Aires and Australia in Sydney - and yet that was a slight disappointment.

The Pumas were still in title contention after round four, but finished bottom for the first time since 2022, after a home two-Test summer series defeat by England.

Their only major Rugby Championship failure was a second-half blowout against South Africa in Durban, when a 25-23 half-time deficit turned into a 67-30 hammering.

The Pumas were competitive, but 2025 has so far failed to provide the huge strides hoped for after a famous Dublin win against the British and Irish Lions before their victorious tour to Australia.

Nonetheless, Argentina are a team with genuine aspirations of a European clean sweep when travelling to Cardiff, Edinburgh and London.

Contepomi was quick to issue a warning when the subject of Wales' 18-Test losing streak was raised.

"Wales' losing run is history," said the former Bristol and Leinster fly-half or centre. "Where they are coming from doesn't matter and the last time that we came to Principality Stadium was 2022 when they were coming through a rough time and beat us."

That was an ugly 20-13 win under Wayne Pivac a week after Wales had been hammered 55-23 by New Zealand.

Argentina stunned the Lions 28-24 at the Aviva Stadium, but are without seven players - six of them starters - from that success.

La Rochelle tight-head prop Joel Sclavi, Exeter's Franco Molina and second-row partner Pedro Rubiolo, who plays for Bristol Bears alongside flanker Benjamin Grondona, Zebre scrum-half Gonzalo Garcia, Benetton fly-half Tomas Albornoz and Saracens centre Lucio Cinti are sidelined though injury.

The loss of Garcia, who started the first five rounds of the Rugby Championship, is considerable and leaves the inexperienced Simon Benitez Cruz and Agustin Moyano, who made their Test debuts in the summer, as the options at Principality Stadium.

Nonetheless, Contepomi fields a 23 featuring 19 of the players who lost 29-27 to the Springboks in the Rugby Championship finale.

"We had some injuries, but we are happy with the whole group that we have here - I would be very confident with playing any of the 32 that are training with us," said the head coach.

The autumn tour will indicate Argentina's depth and the absentees have not prevented the bookies pricing the visitors as healthy favourites.

Captain Julian Montoya said: "I trust everyone in the team and our belief is big, but we still need to do what we say we are going to do."

Despite the notable absentees Argentina still boast serious quality that allows them to mix up their game.

They field Toulouse centre Santiago Chocobares and powerful back-row forward Pablo Matera, brutal flanker Marcos Kremer moves to lock, hooker Montoya leads from the front and (the unrelated) Santiago and Mateo Carreras are game-breakers.

If Welsh legs are weary then dazzling Toulouse full-back Juan Cruz Mallia will exploit them off the bench.

Kremer topped the Rugby Championship tackle chart with 97 - 11 more than second-placed Aussie Fraser McReight - while Mallia was first for offloads and Bautista Delguy was joint top for clean breaks.

Only Springboks superstar Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and All Blacks wing or full-back Will Jordan beat more defenders than Matea Carreras and number eight Joaquin Oviedo.

Argentina relish the collisions and take pride in their set-piece, but also have elusive runners that will give Tandy, a defence coach by trade, plenty to ponder.

Wales have not been above Argentina in the world rankings since 1 October 2023, and that was only for a fortnight before that quarter-final defeat.

Tandy takes over a side ranked 12th - the Pumas have not been as low as that since October 2014.

Argentina have been a constant in the top 10 since then and will hope to keep pushing by enjoying strong autumn results.

Getting off to a strong start is crucial before what appear to be tougher Tests at Murrayfield and Twickenham.

The new-look Wales set-up has presented analytical challenges this week as the Pumas prepared at St Peter's RFC in Cardiff.

"We don't know what to expect from Wales in terms of the tactics or strategy, but they will be tough to beat because they always fight and have quality," said captain Montoya.

"They have a very good coaching ticket with Steve Tandy, Danny Wilson, Matt Sherratt plus Dan Lydiate and Duncan Jones," said Contepomi.

"They are very good coaches, so I expect them to be a very knowledgeable team.

"We admire Wales' passion and how they never give up. They live and breathe rugby so we are expecting a highly motivated team in one of the best stadiums in the world.

"We are expecting a very, very tough encounter because Wales are highly motivated to start a new era well and they are a team with quality throughout their 23."

Argentina might be keen to talk up their hosts, but must also cope with great expectations.

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.