Full Match – Wales vs Argentina 1998

Stradey Park in Llanelli was the venue for Argentina’s UK tour match against Wales on November 21, 1998. It was just the fifth test hosted at the famous Scarlets ground, the same venue where Argentina faced Australia in Rugby World Cup 1991 and would play Samoa the following year at RWC 1999.

The two sides had faced each other just once before in a full international, in Cardiff during RWC 1991. This contest would be the first of four times they would collide in the span of a year with Wales touring Argentina in June 1999 and the another meeting in Cardiff that October at the World Cup.

Wales were under the guidance of Graham Henry who had been appointed in July. His first test in charge was against South Africa the week before, a 28-20 defeat at Wembley Stadium but a remarkable turnaround from the 96-13 obliteration at the hands of the Springboks in Pretoria that June.

Another New Zealander was at the helm for Los Pumas. Grizz Wyllie had taken the job in 1996 and would lead the side through RWC 1999. This was the sixth and final game of their European tour that had traveled through Italy and France. They had earlier toured Japan in September.

WALES
1 Andrew Lewis, 2 Jonathan Humphreys, 3 Chris Anthony, 4 Craig Quinnell, 5 Chris Wyatt, 6 Colin Charvis, 7 Martyn Williams, 8 Scott Quinnell, 9 Robert Howley (capt.), 10 Neil Jenkins, 11 Dafydd James, 12 Scott Gibbs, 13 Mark Taylor, 14 Gareth Thomas, 15 Shane Howarth

Replacements: 16 Barry Williams, 17 Darren Morris, 18 Ben Evans, 19 Mike Voyle, 20 Dai Llewellyn, 21 Neil Boobyer, 22 Mike Rayer

ARGENTINA
1 Mauricio Reggiardo, 2 Federico Méndez, 3 Omar Hasan, 4 Alejandro Allub, 5 Pedro Sporleder (capt.), 6 Martín Durand, 7 Miguel Ruiz, 8 Pablo Camerlinckx, 9 Agustín Pichot, 10 Felipe Contepomi, 11 Facundo Soler, 12 Lisandro Arbizu, 13 Jose Orengo, 14 Ignacio Corleto, 15 Manuel Contepomi

Replacements: 16 Mario Ledesma, 17 Martín Scelzo, 18 Ignacio Fernández Lobbe, 19 Rolando Martín, 20 Nicolás Fernández Miranda, 21 Eduardo Simone, 22 Diego Albanese

Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)