1976 Argentina rugby union tour of Wales and England

The 1976 Argentina rugby union tour of Wales and England was a series of six matches played by the Argentina national rugby union team in September and October 1976.

1976 Argentina rugby union tour of Wales and England
Summary
P W D L
Total
06 03 00 03
Test match
01 00 00 01
Opponent
P W D L
 Wales[1]
1 0 0 1

Five of the six matches were played in Wales, including an international match against the Wales national rugby union team. Argentina won the first three matches of the tour but lost the last three. Although Wales did not award caps for the international game, they did select a full-strength team and Argentina came close to winning; they led 19–17 as the match went into injury time but were beaten by a late penalty from Phil Bennett. Wales had won the Grand Slam in 1976 and Argentina's performance was considered a shock.[2][3]

Matches

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29 September 1976
East Wales22–25  Argentina
Try: Juliff, Butcher
Con: Lewis
Pen: Lewis 4
Try: G. Beccar Varela, Neyrá
Carracedo, Penalty try
Con: Sansot, G. Beccar Varela, Porta
Pen: Porta
Rodney Parade, Newport
Referee: Alan Welsby (England)

East Wales: M. Richards; Clive Rees, N. D. Butcher, N. J. Shanklin, N. B. Juliff; G. Lawrence, N. A. Lewis; Terry Cobner (capt.), Clive Burgess, B. Lease; J. Watkins, J. Floyd; Graham Price, Bobby Windsor, Charlie Faulkner

Argentina: M. Sansot; D. Beccar Varela, A. Travaglini, A. Rodríguez Jurado (capt.) (G. Beccar Varela), J. Gauweloose; H. Porta, A. Etchegaray; J. Carracedo, R. Mastai, C. Neyra; E. Branca, J. J. Fernández; R. Irañeta, J. Costante, M. Carluccio


2 October 1976
Cardiff RFC25–29  Argentina
Try: Dudley-Jones 2, Rawlins
Con: G. Davies 2
Pen: G. Davies 3
Try: Gauweloose 2, D.Beccar Varela
Sansot
Con: G.Beccar Varela, Porta
Pen: Porta, Sansot
Drop: Porta
National Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Kenneth Pattinson (England)

Cardiff: J. Davies; Gerald Davies (capt.), M. Murphy, A. J. Finlayson (Holand), D. Thomas; Gareth Davies, Gareth Edwards; Stuart Lane, B. Dubin-Jones, T. Morgan, I. Robinson, P. Rawlins; Mike Knill, Mike Watkins, Barry Nelmes

Argentina: M. Sansot; D. Beccar Varela, G. Beccar Varela, A. Travaglini, J. Gauweloose, H. Porta, A. Etchegaray (capt.); C. Neyra, R. Mastai, J. Carracedo; E. Branca, J. J. Fernández; F. Insúa, J. Braceras, M. Carluccio (R. Irañeta)


6 October 1976
Aberavon RFC6–18  Argentina
Pen: Bevan 2Try: Travaglini
Con: G.Beccar Varela
Pen: G. Beccar Varela 3, Sansot
Port Talbot
Referee: R. C. Quittenton (England)

Aberavon: P. Bessant; R. James, A. Rees, I. Halle, I. Keene; John Bevan, Clive Shell (capt.); O. Alexander, P. Clarke, R. Davies; P. Bell, Billy Mainwaring; Clive Williams, Billy James, B. Lewis

Argentina: M. Alonso; M. Sansot, A. Travaglini, G. Beccar Varela, G. Álvarez; H. Porta (F. González Victorica), A. Etchegaray (capt.); J. Carracedo; R. Sanz, H. Massini; J. J. Fernández, E. Branca; R. Irañeta, J. Costante, F. Insúa


9 October 1976
North and Midlands24–9  Argentina
Try: Slemen
Con: Hare
Pen: Hare 5
Drop: Horton
Pen: G. Beccar Varela 2, Sansot
Welford Road, Leicester
Referee: P. J. Lillington (England)

North and Midlands Dusty Hare; John Carleton, Paul Dodge, Tony Bond, Mike Slemen; John Horton, Steve Smith; D. Forfar, Tony Neary, Garry Adey; D. Trickey, Bill Beaumont; Fran Cotton (capt.), Peter Wheeler, Colin White

Argentina: M. Alonso; M. Sansot, A. Travaglini (capt.), G. Beccar Varela, J. Gauweloose; F. González Victorica, R. Castagna; H. Massini, R. Mastai, C. Neyra; E. Branca, J. J. Fernández; F. Insúa, J. Costante, R. Irañeta


12 October 1976
West Wales14–12  Argentina
Try: Evans, Griffiths, Hill
Con: Phillips
Pen: Sansot 2, G. Beccar Varela
Drop: G. Beccar Varela
Stradey Park, Llanelli
Referee: D. H. Burnett (Ireland)

West Wales: Clive Griffiths; Elgan Rees (L. Thomas), P. Phillips, Roy Bergiers, Andy Hill; David Richards, S. Williams; G. Jones, H. Jenkins, Trefor Evans; Phil May, Geoff Wheel; Phil Llewellyn, R. Thomas, Glyn Shaw

Argentina: M. Sansot; D. Beccar Varela, A. Travaglini, G. Beccar Varela, J. Gauweloose; H. Porta, A. Etchegaray (capt.); J. Carracedo, J. Sanz, C. Neyra; J. J. Fernández, E. Branca; M. Carluccio, J. Braceras, A. Risler


16 October 1976
Wales  20–19  Argentina
Try: Davies, Edwards
Pen: Bennett 4
Try: G. Beccar Varela, Gauweloose
Con: Porta
Pen: G. Beccar Varela 2, Porta
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Norman Sanson (Scotland)
Wales XV Argentina
J. P. R. Williams FB 15 FB Martin Sansot
Gerald Davies W 14 W Daniel Beccar Varela
Ray Gravell C 13 C Alejandro Travaglini
Roy Bergiers C 12 C Gonzalo Beccar Varela
J. J. Williams W 11 W Jorge Gauweloose
Phil Bennett FH 10 FH Hugo Porta
Gareth Edwards SH 9 SH Adolfo Etchegaray (capt.)
Derek Quinnell N8 8 N8 Jorge Carracedo
(capt.) Terry Cobner F 7 F Ricardo Mastai
Trefor Evans F 6 F Carlos Neyra
Geoff Wheel L 5 L Jose Fernandez
Barry Clegg L 4 L Eliseo Branca
Charlie Faulkner P 3 P Rito Iraneta
Bobby Windsor H 2 H Jose Costante
Graham Price P 1 P Fernando Insua
Replacements
Jeff Squire L 16 H Jorge Braceras

Bibliography

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  • Jenkins, Vivian, ed. (1979). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1979-80. Queen Anne Press. pp. 47–51. ISBN 0-354-09087-9.
  • "Memoria y Balance" (PDF) (in Spanish). Union Argentina de Rugby. November 1976. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2021.

References

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  1. ^ The match was considered official only for UAR, not by WRU
  2. ^ CARDIFF (1976) on Periodismo Rugby, by Daniel Dionisi
  3. ^ Rothmans p51