Tandy insists Wales have moved on from record 52-28 thrashing as Argentina rematch looms

Steve Tandy insists Wales have processed the lessons of their record 52-28 home defeat to Argentina and are ready to face the Pumas again, this time in San Juan on Saturday in their second Nations Championship fixture of the summer.

The November loss in Cardiff was Tandy’s first match as head coach and remains Wales’s heaviest defeat to Argentina. But the mood in the Welsh camp has shifted after consecutive wins over Italy and Fiji — their first back-to-back Test victories since the 2023 Rugby World Cup — while Argentina arrive into the rematch having lost their Nations Championship opener at home to Scotland.

“It was our first game together and I thought Argentina gave us a lot of lessons,” Tandy said. “It’s always relevant looking back at games, but we’ve also moved on. The reality for us is we can’t take our eye off the ball because we’ve still got a long way to go.”

Tandy acknowledged the significance of the recent wins for players and supporters alike, but was quick to frame them as a step rather than a destination. “It is nicer trying to do that after a win, which is great for the players and rewards the hard work they put in. We want to do it more on a consistent basis.”

Wales do have positive history in San Juan, having won there in 2018 as part of a 2-0 series victory under Warren Gatland. Several survivors from that tour remain in the current squad, including scrum-half Tomos Williams, winger Josh Adams, second row Adam Beard, and number eight Aaron Wainwright.

Despite that precedent, Tandy has been candid about the challenge awaiting his side in Argentina. “There’ll be lots of passion, they’re at home, it will be hostile,” he said. “The boys are used to playing in hostile environments, but it will probably be a bit more intense this weekend. When we get an opportunity to put ourselves in the game, it’s about making sure we are ruthless.”

The Nations Championship schedule offers Wales no respite after San Juan. They travel to Durban the following weekend to face world champions South Africa, a fixture Tandy described as “a great opportunity to see how far our development has come and to play a world-class team in their own backyard.”