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Live sport on SN this weekendPumas grind out win in Italy after late yellow cards
AP • November 15th, 2026 4:35 am
Argentina's Juan Martin Gonzales Samso (second right) and his teammates celebrate in Genoa | Photo: AP
Argentina survived two late yellow cards and a penalty try to beat Italy 19-14 in the Nations Championship.
For most of an error-filled, stop-start match on Saturday, the Pumas enjoyed threequarters of the possession and territory but kept turning it over to an Italy side that made 174 tackles, more than twice as many as Argentina.
The teams were 7-7 at halftime in Genoa and Argentina only led for the first time in the 55th minute, then quickly made it 19-7. However, two yellow cards dropped the Pumas to 13 men and a penalty try to Italy gave the home side hope.
But Italy, with their own self-inflicted problems, couldn't steal a first win against Argentina in 18 years.
Italy had a last-minute penalty and aimed for a corner lineout but flyhalf Paolo Garbisi kicked it dead and ended a match that was frustrating for both sides.
After finally ending a five-game winless run, Argentina go to title-chasing France next weekend.
Italy are on a six-match losing run since beating England in Rome in March.
Italy started brilliantly, running the short side from halfway and winger Monty Ioane charging onto a grubber kick by centre Leonardo Marin to score in the fifth minute.
White-helmeted flanker Manuel Zuliani turned over the Pumas twice in his 22 and Tommaso Allan just missed a 51-metre penalty attempt.
The Pumas dominated the rest of the first half, even with flyhalf Tomas Albornoz in the sin-bin, but with little to show. Their scrum conceded three penalties and they kept coughing up ruck penalties in Italy's 22. The Pumas even went 23 phases but crashed against the Italian wall.
Italy didn't crack until near halftime when a Pumas driving maul carried hooker Bautista Bernasconi across in his first start in place of injured skipper Julian Montoya.
The second-half action was little better in the Genoa sunshine until the Pumas, in their 11th time in Italy's 22, worked an overlap try for right winger Rodrigo Isgro.
Replacement lock Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, on the field for four minutes, was sin-binned for Italy's accumulating offences and Argentina struck immediately when left wing Mateo Carreras scored from an inside pass off a scrum.
Argentina finally looked clear and safe. But yellow cards to forwards Joel Sclavi and Efrain Elias and the penalty try to Italy made for a tense last 15 minutes.
Italy lost a fifth throw-in, though, failed to pin the Pumas back, and suffered a 10th straight loss to Argentina.
