Harry Beddall’s Wales U20 side let a 24-7 first half lead slip as they fell to a cruel 34-27 defeat to Argentina on the opening day of the World Rugby U20 Championships in Verona.
Despite scoring three tries in the opening half-an-hour on a night of stifling heat in Italy, Wales were eventually undone by the sheer size and power of Los Pumitas.
If ever a rugby statistic told a story then it was the one at the end of this game that showed Wales had mauled seven metres while the beefy Argies had managed 63.
Yet it wasn’t until the 77th minute that the south Americans were able to hit the front for the first time in the match, when skipper and No 8 Agustín Garcia Campos dived over from close range at the posts.
Wales got one last shot at salvaging a draw with a 79th minute penalty that enabled them to kick for the corner. They rolled off the line-out, but replacement hooker Saul Hurley got turned over a couple of metres out.
That added insult to injury as Beddall’s boys thought they had scored a try with 10 minutes to go when Louie Trevett flopped over at the posts after great bursts by Tom Bowen and Aidan Boshoff. Initially the try was awarded, but then the TMO pointed out a neck roll by Deian Gwynne in a build up ruck and what might have been the winning score was chalked off.
That came moments after Harri Wilde pushed a regulation penalty wide of the mark from 25 metres and so Wales ended up with only three added points in the second half – a Harri Ford penalty.
Wales knew they had to win this game to keep alive their hopes of bidding for something better than a 5th – 8th place at the tournament. They face France next and then finish their Pool B campaign against Spain.
It takes at least two wins to make the top tier and unless they can turn the tables on the French, who beat them 63-19 in the Six Nations, and then beat the Spanish, they will be challenging for the minor placings once again.
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Not that Beddall is ruling anything out just yet. Once again the skipper was an inspirational character in the back row, but not even he could stop Los Pumitas from enjoying 63% territory and 61% possession.
Wales got off to a flying start with the referee awarding them a penalty try in the third minute for a deliberate knock on. He also sent full back Pascal Senillosa to the sin-bin.
Los Pumitas were quick to reply with a close range try from hooker Tadeo Ledesma, son of the great Puma Mario Ledesma, and Rafael Benedit’s conversion tied things up.
Then Wales showcased their attacking ability with a brace of superb tries from centre Steff Emanuel and No 8 Evan Minto.
Emanuel finished off a good back line move, while Minto slalomed his way over from 25 metres. Ford converted both of them having earlier kicked a penalty and that made it 24-7 after 28 minutes.
If Wales were in dreamland, their opponents were all over the place having had their skipper sent to the sin-bin as well for a ruck offence.
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By the break Los Pumitas had cut the gap to five points thanks to two ties in the space of as many minutes. If the first from giant tight head Tomas Rapetti was hard to stop, the second from wing Timoteo Silva was a real coach killer.
From the re-start the ball went straight into tough and the reaction from the Argentineans was far quicker than the Welsh as they took a quick throw in to send Silva racing clear from half-way. What a difference that score made.
Rapetti’s second try after the break leveled things up at 24-24 before Ford edged Wales ahead again with a penalty. Benedit matched that in the 53rd minute to make it 27-27 and it took another 24 minutes before the deadlock was finally broken.
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