Pumas captain Juan Fernandez Lobbe deservedly won the man of the match award with an inspirational performance. He led from the front as the Pumas won just their second game in Cardiff, 11 years after their first scalp.
A flat performance from Wales also places in jeopardy their chances of being seeded in the top four when it comes to World Cup rankings next month.
Wales were blunt in attack and looked a pale imitation of the side which claimed the Grand Slam earlier in the year. Despite leading 9-6 at the break, it was somewhat against the run of play as the Pumas dominated possession and territory but failed to convert pressure into points.
Lobbe was instrumental in creating the Pumas first try in the 55th minute with an exquisite off-load to Juan Manuel Leguizamon who replicated his captain’s deftness to send Juan Jose Imhoff through a gap. The flying winger stepped Leigh Halfpenny and showed the Wales full back a clean pair of heels to score under the posts.
Fellow wing Gonzalo Camacho then got in on the try scoring act with a brilliant finish by the corner flag, riding Halfpenny’s tackle to score a deserved try. Camacho was outstanding all day in defence and showed a lethal finishing touch, something Wales couldn’t discover themselves.
In a scrappy first half there was very little structure to the game as Argentina dominated territory and possession but were unable to make their superiority pay as they lacked penetration.
Three first half penalties by Halfpenny, answered by a penalty by Felipe Contepomi and a drop goal by Nicolas Sanchez, gave Wales a 9-6 lead at the break. In a bruising opening half Wales lost both Jamie Roberts and Alun Wyn Jones through injury in an attritional contest.
Argentina came closest to scoring a try in the first spell but the bounce of the ball denied centre Gonzalo Tiesi with the try-line at his mercy.
The visitors opened the scoring in the third minute when Wales lock Ian Evans made a clumsy high tackle on Sanchez to give Contepomi a chance to open the scoring and from 35m, the inside centre gained first blood for the Pumas.
Three minutes later Halfpenny leveled the scores with a penalty in front of the posts after the Pumas brought down a scrum.
The Pumas forwards then rumbled forward and went through the phases to set up Sanchez for a neat snap drop goal to put the South Americans back in front.
The Pumas were dealt a huge blow when inspirational centre Contepomi was stretchered off the field with an injured right knee. Halfpenny put Wales back on level pegging with a lovely strike from wide out.
Roberts was forced from the field, to be replaced by James Hook in the 23rd minute, after clattering his head in a Tiesi tackle.
Hooker Eusebio Guinazu gifted Wales another three points when he put his hands in the cookie jar at ruck time and the imperious Halfpenny banged over another penalty to keep his 100% record intact.
Argentina dominated the possession but they lacked a cutting edge with the ball in hand and the Welsh defence never really looked seriously threatened.
Guinazu cost his side another three points in the early stages of the second half when he refused to move away from a ruck and Halfpenny’s unerring boot did the rest to rub salt into the wounds.
Sanchez reduced the deficit to three points when he popped over his second drop goal before the Pumas delivered a double blow with their two tries.
In a frantic finish Wales threw everything at Argentina but the Pumas were able to close the game out in style as Lobbe was able to celebrate his 50th cap with a memorable victory while the defeat for Wales will give caretaker coach Rob Howley plenty to ponder for the remaining games of the autumn.
Scorers:
Wales: Pens: Halfpenny (4)
Argentina: Tries – Imhoff, Comancho; Con: Sanchez (2); Pens: Contepomi, Sanchez.
Dgl: Sanchez (2)
Wales Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, Scott Williams, Jamie Roberts (Hook 23), George North; Rhys Priestland, Tavis Knoyle (Phillips 56); Toby Faletau, Sam Warburton (capt) (Tipuric 70Â BB), Josh Turnbull; Ian Evans, Alun-Wyn Jones (McCusker 40); Aaron Jarvis (James 60), Matthew Rees (Hibbard 60), Gethin Jenkins (Bevington 69)
Replacement not used: Liam Williams
Argentina Juan Martin Hernandez (Agulla 46); Gonzalo Camacho, Gonzalo Tiesi, Felipe Contepomi (Tuculet 13), Juan Jose Imhoff; Nicolas Sanchez, Martin Landajo (Vergallo 67); Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (capt), Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Leonardo Senatore (Leonardi 57); Julio Farias Cabello (Vallejos 65), Manuel Carizza; Juan Figallo (J Gomez 67), Eusebio Guinazu (Creevy 49), Marcos Ayerza (B Posiglioni 79)
