The Wales national rugby union team toured Argentina in May–June 1999. They played five matches, including two tests against the Argentina national team. The tour served as preparation for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, which Wales hosted in October and November that year.
Wales won the test series 2–0, winning the first test 36–26 and the second 23–16 to claim their first series victory in the Southern Hemisphere; however, they only won one of their three tour matches, beating Tucumán 69–44 but losing 31–29 to Buenos Aires and 47–34 to Argentina A.
Squad Wales coach Graham Henry named a squad of 37 for the tour of Argentina, including three uncapped players: scrum-half Rhodri Jones, and back-rowers Richard Arnold and Ian Boobyer. Fly-half Arwel Thomas and lock Andy Moore were recalled to the Wales team after missing the 1999 Five Nations Championship. Henry also named seven standby players, including lock Gareth Llewellyn and full-back Byron Hayward. After injuries to Pontypridd's Ian Gough and Kevin Morgan, Llewellyn and Hayward were called up to the main tour squad. Centre Scott Gibbs was also ruled out after breaking a hand; he was replaced by Newport's Matthew Watkins.
Name Position Club Notes Hooker Cardiff Hooker Swansea Prop Swansea Prop Swansea Prop/Hooker Cardiff Prop Swansea Prop London Irish Prop Cardiff Lock Pontypridd Withdrew due to injury Lock Swansea Lock Richmond Lock Llanelli Lock Llanelli Back row Newcastle Back row Llanelli Back row Swansea Back row Pontypridd Back row Llanelli Back row Neath Back row Pontypridd Scrum-half Cardiff Captain Scrum-half Swansea Scrum-half Ebbw Vale Fly-half Pontypridd Fly-half Llanelli Fly-half Swansea Centre Richmond Centre Llanelli Centre Cardiff Centre Swansea Withdrew due to injury Centre Swansea Wing Pontypridd Wing Swansea Wing Cardiff Wing Richmond Full-back Sale Full-back Pontypridd Withdrew due to injury
Standby squad Name Position Club Notes Hooker Pontypridd Hooker Richmond Prop Llanelli Lock Richmond Injury replacement for Ian Gough Back row Llanelli Centre Newport Injury replacement for Scott Gibbs Wing Swansea Full-back Llanelli Injury replacement for Kevin Morgan
Matches DateVenueHomeScoreAway29 May 1999Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club, Buenos AiresBuenos Aires31–291 June 1999Estadio Monumental José Fierro, TucumánTucumán44–695 June 1999Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires26–368 June 1999Jorge Newbery Municipal Stadium, Rosario47–3412 June 1999Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires16–23
Buenos Aires v Wales Wales named a strong team for the opening match of their tour, and took a 19–14 lead into half-time thanks to a late try from Allan Bateman, converted by Arwel Thomas, who also kicked four penalties in the opening quarter; however, Buenos Aires were still in the game thanks to a try from Rolando Martín and three José Cilley penalties, and they took the lead early in the second half when Octavio Bartolucci crossed for the home side and Cilley added the extras. Wales went back in front thanks to a converted try from Geraint Lewis, but Cilley added another penalty before converting Tomás Solari's try to give Buenos Aires a 31–26 lead as the game entered its final quarter. Thomas pulled the score back to 31–29 three minutes later, but there were no further scores and Wales suffered a shock defeat.
Team details FB 15Diego AlbaneseRW 14Octavio BartolucciOC 13José OrengoIC 12Juan Fernández MirandaLW 11Tomás SolariFH 10José CilleySH 9 Nicolás Fernández Miranda (c)N8 8 Pablo CamerlinckxOF 7 Lucas OstigliaBF 6 Rolando MartínRL 5 Guillermo UgartemendiaLL 4 Pedro SporlederTP 3 Martín ScelzoHK 2 Mario LedesmaLP 1 Fernando GuatieriReplacements: 16 17 18 19 20 21 22Coach:José Javier Fernández FB 15Shane HowarthRW 14Gareth ThomasOC 13Allan BatemanIC 12Leigh DaviesLW 11Dafydd JamesFH 10Arwel ThomasSH 9 Rob Howley (c)N8 8 Brett SinkinsonOF 7 Geraint LewisBF 6 Colin CharvisRL 5 Chris WyattLL 4 Mike VoyleTP 3 Peter RogersHK 2 Garin JenkinsLP 1 Chris AnthonyReplacements: 16 17 18 19 20 21 22Coach:Graham Henry
Tucumán v Wales Wales won their first match of the tour in a nine-try performance against Tucumán. Wing Matthew Robinson scored four times, while Mark Taylor and Neil Boobyer claimed two apiece, and Geraint Lewis completed the scoring. Fly-half Arwel Thomas was almost perfect from the tee, converting all nine tries and kicking two out of three penalty attempts for a total of 24 out of Wales's 69 points. Tucumán scored 22 of their points in a 10-minute spell in which they took a 25–20 lead, but Wales were able to come back to win 69–44.
Team details FB 15Leonardo GravanoRW 14L. RojasOC 13Pablo García HamiltonIC 12J. Rodríguez LW 11Martín PfisterFH 10Tristán MolinuevoSH 9 Leandro MolinuevoN8 8 Hugo DandeOF 7 Eduardo Padua (c)BF 6 José Santamarina RL 5 Omar PortilloLL 4 José MacomeTP 3 Omar HasanHK 2 M. Coll LP 1 Leopoldo de ChazalReplacements: 16S. Retondo 17J. Martinez 18J. Belloto Coach:José Javier Fernández FB 15Neil BoobyerRW 14Nick WalneOC 13Mark Taylor IC 12Stephen JonesLW 11Matthew RobinsonFH 10Byron HaywardSH 9 David LlewellynN8 8 Geraint Lewis OF 7 Martyn Williams (c)BF 6 Richard ArnoldRL 5 Andy MooreLL 4 Gareth LlewellynTP 3 Dai Young HK 2 Jonathan HumphreysLP 1 Andrew Lewis Replacements: Matthew Watkins Darren Morris Chris Anthony Ian Boobyer Coach:Graham Henry
Argentina v Wales (1st test) Following his four tries in the game against Tucumán four days earlier, Matthew Robinson was named on the wing for Wales's first test against Argentina, taking the place of Gareth Thomas. In the only other change from the team that beat England in the final game of the Five Nations, Allan Bateman partnered Mark Taylor in the centres in place of the injured Scott Gibbs. Despite a strong team, Wales found themselves 23–0 down before the half-hour mark; fly-half Gonzalo Quesada scored 18 of those points, converting his own try as well as one from Octavio Bartolucci, in addition to three penalties. Wales got back into the game shortly before half-time as Neil Jenkins kicked a penalty before converting a Dafydd James try with the last play of the half, reducing the deficit to 23–10. Jenkins added another penalty before converting a Brett Sinkinson try in the first 10 minutes of the second period. He then levelled the scores as the game entered the final quarter, only for Quesada to restore a three-point lead for the hosts; however, Shane Howarth made it 26–26 with a drop goal in the 68th minute. Wales then pulled clear thanks to a try from Chris Wyatt, which Jenkins converted before kicking another penalty to give the tourists a 36–26 win. Coach Graham Henry blamed Wales's slow start on having arrived late at the stadium; their police escort did not turn up and the team coach was blocked in at the hotel, which meant they arrived only 45 minutes before kick-off. Henry commended his team's determination to come back from 23–0 down, and reserved special praise for their scrummaging, particularly that of hooker Garin Jenkins, who he said he had "misjudged" when he took over as Wales coach.
FB 15Diego AlbaneseRW 14Octavio BartolucciOC 13Eduardo SimoneIC 12Lisandro ArbizuLW 11Ezequiel JuradoFH 10Gonzalo QuesadaSH 9 Agustín PichotN8 8 Pablo Camerlinckx OF 7 Ignacio Fernández LobbeBF 6 Rolando MartínRL 5 Alejandro Allub LL 4 Pedro Sporleder (c)TP 3 Mauricio ReggiardoHK 2 Federico MéndezLP 1 Roberto Grau Replacements:PR 16Omar Hasan HK 17Mario LedesmaFL 18Lucas Ostiglia N8 19Gonzalo Longo SH 20Nicolás Fernández MirandaFH 21Felipe ContepomiCE 22José OrengoCoach: Alex Wyllie FB 15Shane HowarthRW 14Matthew RobinsonOC 13Mark TaylorIC 12Allan BatemanLW 11Dafydd JamesFH 10Neil JenkinsSH 9 Rob Howley (c)N8 8 Scott QuinnellOF 7 Brett SinkinsonBF 6 Colin CharvisRL 5 Chris WyattLL 4 Craig QuinnellTP 3 Ben Evans HK 2 Garin JenkinsLP 1 Peter Rogers Replacements:PR 16Dai Young PR 17Andrew Lewis CE 18Neil BoobyerFH 19Stephen JonesSH 20David LlewellynLK 21Mike VoyleHK 22Jonathan HumphreysCoach: Graham Henry Assistant referees: Chris White (England) Wayne Erickson (Australia)
Argentina A v Wales Graham Henry changed his entire starting line-up for the midweek match against Argentina A in Rosario. The opening 20 minutes of the game saw Arwel Thomas and Felipe Contepomi trade penalties, but tries from Juan Fernández Miranda, Gonzalo Camardón and Nicolás Fernández Miranda in the second quarter meant Wales trailed 27–15 at the break. Further penalties from Contepomi, a drop goal from Camardón and a converted try from Patricio Grande extended that lead to 29 points before Wales scored their first try through scrum-half Rhodri Jones just before the hour mark. Neil Boobyer added another a few minutes later, and Nick Walne also crossed as the game entered the final 10 minutes, but despite successful conversions from Arwel Thomas, it was not enough to avoid another tour defeat. During the match, a photography gantry collapsed under the weight of around 20 spectators who had climbed on it; there were no serious injuries, but the match was stopped for six minutes while aid was provided.
Team details FB 15Diego GiannantonioRW 14Patricio GrandeOC 13Gonzalo Camardón IC 12Juan Fernández MirandaLW 11Martín PfisterFH 10Felipe ContepomiSH 9 Nicolás Fernández Miranda (c)N8 8 Gonzalo LongoOF 7 Augusto PetrilliBF 6 Santiago PhelanRL 5 Raúl PérezLL 4 Germán Llanes TP 3 Martín Scelzo HK 2 Mario LedesmaLP 1 Fernando Díaz Alberdi Replacements:WG José María Núñez Piossek PR German Aristide PR Santiago González Bonorino LK Omar Portillo Coaches:Raúl SanzGonzalo Del Cerro FB 15Neil BoobyerRW 14Nick WalneOC 13Leigh DaviesIC 12Stephen JonesLW 11Gareth Thomas FH 10Arwel Thomas SH 9 Rhodri Jones N8 8 Geraint Lewis OF 7 Martyn Williams (c)BF 6 Richard ArnoldRL 5 Andy Moore LL 4 Mike VoyleTP 3 Dai Young HK 2 Jonathan HumphreysLP 1 Darren Morris Replacements:CE Matthew Watkins FH Byron Hayward SH David Llewellyn PR Andrew Lewis PR Chris Anthony LK Gareth Llewellyn FL Ian Boobyer Coach:Graham Henry
Argentina v Wales (2nd test) Having failed to live up to his performance against Tucumán in the first test, Matthew Robinson was dropped in favour of Gareth Thomas on the right wing as one of two changes to the Wales line-up from a week earlier; the other change saw Geraint Lewis come in for Colin Charvis in the back row. Wales took an 8–0 lead in the opening 15 minutes thanks to a penalty from Neil Jenkins and a try from his namesake Garin. Felipe Contepomi reduced the deficit with a penalty 10 minutes later, but that was soon followed by the biggest flashpoint of the game; after Dafydd James was deemed to have illegally killed the ball, he was punched by Argentina prop Mauricio Reggiardo, sparking a mass brawl on the sideline. As a result, Reggiardo was yellow-carded along with Argentina captain Pedro Sporleder and Wales prop Peter Rogers. Contepomi put Argentina into a 9–8 lead with two more penalties, only for Jenkins to edge Wales back in front with a kick of his own on the stroke of half-time. He added another early in the second half, before stretching the lead to 17–9 with a 46th-minute drop goal after Chris Wyatt managed to steal the ball from an Argentina line-out. Wales had the chance to put the contest to bed shortly after as Thomas headed towards the try line, only to knock on. Contepomi missed the opportunity to close the gap with two kicks at goal, and Wales responded with two more penalties of their own to take the lead to 23–9 and Jenkins' international points total past the 800 mark, behind only Australian fly-half Michael Lynagh. José Orengo's try, converted by José Cilley, reduced the home side's deficit to seven points in the final minutes, but it was too little, too late as Wales secured the whitewash and their first series win in the Southern Hemisphere.