Wales failed to build on a strong start as Argentina ran out comfortable 35-21 winners in their Nations Championship encounter in San Juan on Saturday.
An early try from Dewi Lake gave Steve Tandy’s side an early lead but the Pumas quickly responded with the first two of their five tries.
Rhys Carre pulled the Welsh back level but three more tries in a 13-minute spell either side of half-time gave the hosts a commanding lead before Ben Warren’s consolation.
Sam Costelow converted all three of Wales’ tries but Argentina, for whom Joaquin Oviedo starred with two touchdowns, deserved their victory as they bounced back impressively from defeat to Scotland.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Noah Caluori made try-scoring debuts and Henry Pollock plundered a hat-trick as clinical England ended their five-Test losing run by dismantling Fiji 73-8 at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Steve Borthwick’s men bounced back from the 45-21 mauling by South Africa that opened their Nations Championship with an 11-try rout of dismal opposition who saw Simione Kuruvoli sent off for kicking Ellis Genge in first-half overtime.
” />
Fiji trailed 35-3 when Kuruvoli departed, with South African-born Van Rensburg among the try scorers just 218 seconds after coming on as an HIA replacement for Henry Slade and three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.
The onslaught intensified in the second half even though Borthwick had emptied his bench, with 19-year-old rookie Caluori touching down in the 65th minute and the rapid Pollock, another replacement, completing his hat-trick in the closing seconds.
Will Jordan scored a hat-trick and became New Zealand’s all-time leading try-scorer in their 47-17 victory over Italy in the Nations Championship in Wellington.
The 28-year-old moved past Doug Howlett with his 50th try in just his 56th Test as New Zealand picked up their second straight win in the competition under new boss Dave Rennie.
Italy started quickly and opened the scoring through Tommaso Menoncello but New Zealand hit back through Sam Darry and then started to pull away courtesy of efforts from Cam Roigard, Ethan de Groot and Tupou Vaa’i alongside Jordan’s hat-trick.
The visitors had their backs against the wall after Niccolo Cannone was sent off for a headbutt and suffered their second successive defeat following their loss to Japan last week.