Colin Charvis has apologised to the Welsh public for the foul that cost him 10 minutes in the sin-bin during Saturday's defeat by Argentina here - but that is all he is apologising for.
Colin Charvis has apologised to the Welsh public for the foul that cost him 10 minutes in the sin-bin during Saturday's defeat by Argentina here - but that is all he is apologising for.
Charvis was at the centre of a pay dispute in the build-up to the Test, leading to several former Wales captains calling for him to be stripped of the captaincy, but the 69-times capped flanker denied the row had affected the team's preparation.
"There's never been a personal situation with me within the camp," Charvis said. "It seems I've been vilified by the media, but at least this time I haven't been subject to a poll comparing me with Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. If Mike [Ruddock, the Wales coach] feels I didn't come up to scratch, someone else will take over."
Ruddock pinpointed Charvis's first-half sin-binning as one of several silly mistakes his players made during the 11-try thriller at the Atletico Stadium. Wales were 38-9 down early in the second half and fought back valiantly. "We lost our way just after half-time," he said. "We played a lot of rugby after that and showed we can play."
Wales were killed off by a three-try burst in the opening minutes of the second half. The Pumas winger Lucas Borges scored twice within 90 seconds and the fly-half Felipe Contepomi helped himself to the third on his way to 25 points.
Scorers: Argentina: Tries M Contepomi 2, G Longo, L Borges, F Contepomi, M Gaitan. Cons F Contepomi (4). Pens F Contepomi 4. Wales: Tries: D Peel, J Forster, C Charvis, S Parker, H Luscombe. Cons G Henson 5. Pens G Henson 3.
ARGENTINA: H Senillosa (Hindu); J Piossek (Huirapacu), M Gaitan (Biarritz), M Contepomi (Newman), L Borges (Pucara); F Contepomi (Leinster), M Albina (Los Tilos); R Roncero (Gloucester), F Mendez (Mendoza), O Hasan (Agen), I Fernandez Lobbe (Castres), P Albacete (Colomiers), M Durand (Champagnat), L Ostiglia (Padova), G Longo (Narbonne, capt). Replacements: M Shusterman (Plymouth Albion) for Durand, 66; J Orengo (Grenoble) for Gaitan, 70; P Bouza (Duendes) for Ostiglia, 77; P Cardinali (Beziers) for Hasan, 79.
WALES: R Williams (Blues); H Luscombe (Dragons), S Parker (Ospreys), G Henson (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); C Sweeney (Dragons), D Peel (Scarlets); D Jones (Ospreys), M Davies (unattached), A Jones (Ospreys), B Cockbain (Ospreys), G Llewellyn (Ospreys), C Charvis (Newcastle, capt), J Forster (Dragons), M Owen (Dragons). Replacements: N Robinson (Blues) for Sweeney, 51; T Shanklin (Blues) for R Williams, 55; D Morris (Leicester) for A Jones, 58; H Bennett (Ospreys) for M Davies, 75; G Jenkins (Blues) for D Jones, 75; M Phillips (Scarlets) for Peel 75,
Referee: D Courtney (Ireland).
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