So just how big a danger are Argentina to Wales on Saturday? Andy Howell went to see the Pumas play England at Twickenham to find out

ANY Welsh rugby supporters expecting Warren Gatland’s team to stroll to a victory over Argentina in Cardiff next Saturday need to reassess their opinion.

For the Pumas, despite being without injured world stars Juan Martin Hernandez and Felipe Contepomi, were unlucky to leave Twickenham without at least a draw.

They went down 16-9 to England, but will be ruing the penalty failure of goal-kicker Martin Rodriguez three times and the inaccuracy of outside-half Santiago Fernandez, who fired two first-half drop-goal attempts wide.

Had it been different, had Argentina managed to boot themselves into a lead, they would have put Martin Johnson’s lacking-in-confidence Red Rose outfit under enormous pressure.

Argentina are a team in transistion, but at the weekend they were also without long-term injury victims Juan Martin Leguizamon and exciting runner Ignacio Corletto from the side which finished a magnificent third at the 2007 World Cup in France.

In fact, three of their ranks were debut-makers against England.

Centre Rodriguez, left-wing Mauro Comuzzi and flanker Tomas Leonardi, all home-based players, coped well with the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a crowd of 78,753, a damp pitch and a strong, swirling wind.

Their backs were utilised more than expected in the first-half and Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards will have noted the French influence on their moves.

Former France captain and cult hero Fabien Galthie is Argentina’s assistant coach and the way they flooded the blindside with backs in attack was typically Gallic.

Despite their half-backs – Alfredo Lalnanne, who out-played his rival for the London Irish No 9 jersey Paul Hodgson, and Fernandez – possessing just six caps between them going into the game, they quickly spotted makeshift England full-back Ugo Monye couldn’t catch a cold, let alone an up-and-under, and peppered him with bombs.

Monye’s handling errors handed the visitors possession and territory but Argentina rarely threatened to score a try, which will be of comfort to Edwards and Wales coach Warren Gatland following another disappointing performance by their side during a 17-13 win over Samoa on Friday night.

Another encouraging factor for Wales was the way Argentina’s kicking game was nullified in the second-half, when England moved Mark Cueto in-field and moved Monye to the wing position he normally fills.

Then England began to run ball back and lift the tempo of the game, something that gave the Pumas problems.

The only pity for Johnson’s team was that they didn’t have the finesse, the pace, the sheer midfield quality or the belief to take advantage.

One suspects however that Wales DO have the personnel to be able to breach the Argentine defence if they can raise the pace, increase the ball-in-play time and turn it into a looser encounter at the Millennium Stadium.

There looked to be one, perhaps two, forward passes in England’s 70th minute try scored by left-wing Matt Banahan and the English seemed, it has to be said, to have the better of the 50-50 decisions from Welsh referee Nigel Owens.

Perhaps it’s the edict from the International Rugby Board but union is being ruined in my opinion from the team in possession all too often being penalised at the breakdown.

All it does is discourage sides from running with the ball, persuading them instead to adopt the safety-first tactics of kick, kick and kick again.

After Banahan’s try, Argentina reverted to type in an effort to rescue a draw, their renowned forward munchers putting the ball up their jersey.

Wales will have to beware of this because in gnarled veterans Rodrigo Roncero, Mario Ledesma and Martin Scelzo, the Pumas possess one of the world’s best scrummaging front-rows.

Locks Patricio Albacete and Esteban Lozada are also no mugs, both being regulars for Toulouse and Toulon.

Owens summed up their forward strength nicely when he advised moaning England captain Steve Borthwick during one break in play how “all the problems are coming from your scrum”.

Argentina also have the consistently excellent Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, who would walk into my World XV, in the back-row.

Former Sale Sharks ace Lobbe can play blindside or openside flanker but was at No 8 against England.

New Zealand, during their 19-12 win over Wales in Cardiff nine days ago, and Samoa, who also had ascendancy at the scrum, both slowed down Welsh possession.

Argentina, no doubt, will attempt to follow suit with Lobbe warning Gatland: “It’s going to be really tough, very competitive at the contact area.

“Wales have got some big forwards, some big ball-carriers, people like Jamie Roberts. It’s going to be a big challenge.”

The Pumas have won four of their last six Tests against Wales stretching back to their historic first win, 30-16, at the Millennium Stadium in 2001.

And they will attempt to scrummage Wales into submission on Saturday, to suffocate them at the break-down and to dominate possession.

In other words, they will be aiming for rugby’s version of a 1-0 away win in football and it might not be pretty.

Wales’ task will be to earn the right to dictate the pattern and then rise above such intentions.

They will need to get their off-loading game going and if they can, and if the passes click, which they haven’t since the marvellous first-half try they scored in France during the Six Nations nearly nine months ago, Argentina could cop it.

Argentina had only been together for a week before facing England and seven days more preparation should aid their bid for a second win in the Welsh capital.

In particular they need to put in more work on a line-out which malfunctioned, a lineout Wales will surely want to challenge.

Pumas’ centre Gonzalo Tiesi, who plays his club rugby for English club Harlequins, said: “It’s going to be as tough as the match with England but every week we are together helps us.

“We know what Wales are capable of playing at home at the Millennium Stadium, they are going to try and play expansive rugby.

“They have got a lot of talent, with Lions players but we know what we are capable of and, hopefully, we can have a good game and win.”

It will be a contrast in styles, for sure.