Argentina XV lost 59-24 to England A at The Rec in Bath, in a match whose final score does not fully describe the competitiveness of the first half. Álvaro Galindo’s side came from behind to lead and challenged the hosts for forty minutes, but English speed, depth and accuracy opened a wide gap after the interval.
England struck after one minute through a Noah Caluori try converted by Charlie Atkinson. Argentina responded immediately through one of their strengths: the tight collective game. Rodrigo Fernández Criado scored after six minutes and Pedro Delgado repeated the action at 13, both following effective mauls and both converted by Federico Serpa. The 14-7 lead demonstrated Argentina XV’s power close to the set piece.
Mark Mapletoft’s team shifted the point of attack with quicker handling. Max Ojomoh, Atkinson and Caluori again found spaces to recover the lead. Argentina XV, however, did not completely lose organisation. Santiago Pernas collected a loose ball, advanced it with his foot and completed an individual move that restored energy. Serpa converted, sending the visitors to half-time only 28-19 behind.
The second half changed the scale of the contest. Jack Kenningham and Jamie Blamire crossed within the first seven minutes. Serpa scored an Argentine try in the tenth, but the home side’s continuity had become difficult to stop. Luke Northmore scored twice and Tobias Elliott also reached the in-goal area. England produced four tries during the period and completed a sustained attacking performance.
The margin came from individual talent and England’s capacity to link phases without losing pace. Argentina defended with commitment but repeatedly had to retreat against players drawn from leading Premiership clubs, who punished every disconnection. As pressure increased, the visitors received fewer clean possessions and could not reproduce the maul platform that had organised their strongest passage.
Galindo’s assessment must separate the scoreboard from the learning value. Fernández Criado and Delgado showed efficiency in tight play, Pernas solved an open-field situation with skill, and Serpa contributed a try and three conversions. At the same time, conceding nine tries identifies clear work: defence after first contact, exit from the defensive zone and the ability to maintain intensity through successive opposition accelerations.
Bath delivered a heavy defeat and a high-level reference. Argentina XV proved they can compete when structure, discipline and maul are imposed, but also saw how a side with superior circulation magnifies each loss of control. The 59-24 score does not erase the first half; it makes those forty minutes a demanding foundation. The next task is turning positive passages into a complete performance and narrowing the distance between promise and sustained international rugby.
