UDINE, Italy — Argentina accomplished a remarkable feat on Saturday by securing a decisive 50-18 victory over Italy, reinforcing their supremacy in the rivalry.
In what turned out to be a disorganized match characterized by 42 handling errors and 31 turnovers, the Pumas demonstrated their skill by capitalizing on Italy’s blunders.
A total of seven players from Argentina found the try zone during the game, with flyhalf Tomas Albornoz contributing significantly by kicking 15 points.
This match marked the most significant victory for Argentina against Italy in their 46-year history of competition.
Previously, the Pumas had never scored more than 40 points in any of their 23 encounters with Italy.
Argentina has now extended their winning streak against Italy to nine consecutive tests, a trend that has persisted since 2008.
It is worth noting that Italy has not managed to claim a home win over the Pumas since 1998.
This victory served as a crucial rebound for Argentina, following their loss to South Africa in the Rugby Championship title match in Mbombela last September, as they prepare to face Ireland next Friday.
For Italy, the match was a tough evening, representing their poorest performance of a year in which they had previously achieved victories over Scotland and Japan, as well as a draw with France.
The expectation was that Italy would put up a strong fight in this initial test encounter featuring Argentina’s Argentine coach, Gonzalo Quesada.
Nonetheless, despite the multitude of mistakes, Italy remained competitive until the one-hour mark, after which their defensive efforts waned and they struggled to keep up with the Pumas’ bench strength.