In June 2004, the Wales national rugby union team toured Argentina and South Africa. They played two test matches against the Argentina national team in Buenos Aires, losing 50–44 in the first on 12 June before winning the second 35–20 on 19 June, before playing the South Africa national team on 26 June 2004, losing 53–18 in Pretoria on 26 June. Before leaving for the tour, they also played an uncapped match against the Barbarians at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, winning 42–0. The tour saw call-ups for three uncapped players for Wales – Barry Davies, Peter Sidoli and Jason Forster – but only Forster played in any of the three games, scoring Wales' second try in the first test against Argentina.
Squads Wales Wales coach Mike Ruddock, leading the nation for the first time following the departure of Steve Hansen at the end of the 2004 Six Nations Championship, named a 33-man squad for the tour. Hooker Barry Williams retired from international rugby at the start of May 2004, and several players were unavailable due to injury, including lock Robert Sidoli, scrum-half Gareth Cooper, hooker Robin McBryde and fly-half Stephen Jones, which meant a less experienced squad was named for the tour, and there were call-ups for the uncapped lock Peter Sidoli, flanker Jason Forster and full-back Barry Davies. Prop Darren Morris was also recalled to the squad almost three years after his last cap for Wales. Following the withdrawal of Craig Morgan from the squad with leg injuries, Tal Selley was called up in his place. Prop Iestyn Thomas also pulled out with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Rhys Thomas. After suffering an ankle injury in the pre-tour match against the Barbarians, Gareth Thomas had hoped to join up with the squad in time for the second test against Argentina; however, he did not recover in time for that match.
Name Position Caps Club Notes Hooker 6 Neath–Swansea Ospreys Hooker 17 Celtic Warriors Hooker 1 Newport Gwent Dragons Prop 20 Celtic Warriors Prop 9 Neath–Swansea Ospreys Prop 10 Neath–Swansea Ospreys Prop 14 Leicester Tigers Prop 30 Llanelli Scarlets Withdrew with shoulder injury Prop 0 Newport Gwent Dragons Injury replacement for Iestyn Thomas Lock 9 Celtic Warriors Lock 2 Celtic Warriors Lock 87 Swansea Lock 0 Newport Gwent Dragons Back row 68 Tarbes Captain Back row 0 Newport Gwent Dragons Back row 20 Llanelli Scarlets Back row 13 Newport Gwent Dragons Back row 8 Leeds Tykes Back row 11 Neath–Swansea Ospreys Scrum-half 30 Llanelli Scarlets Scrum-half 1 Llanelli Scarlets Scrum-half 1 Neath–Swansea Ospreys Fly-half 4 Neath–Swansea Ospreys Fly-half 2 Cardiff Blues Fly-half 13 Newport Gwent Dragons Centre 1 Newport Gwent Dragons Centre 10 Celtic Warriors Centre 21 Cardiff Blues Wing 1 Newport Gwent Dragons Wing 9 Cardiff Blues Withdrew with thigh/calf injuries Wing 0 Llanelli Scarlets Injury replacement for Craig Morgan Wing 18 Neath–Swansea Ospreys Full-back 0 Llanelli Scarlets Full-back 77 Toulouse Full-back 37 Cardiff Blues
Argentina Argentina named a 26-man squad on 17 May 2004 for the two-test series against Wales and a one-off test against New Zealand. It was Argentina's first international action since they were eliminated in the group stage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Agustín Pichot, Ignacio Corleto, Juan Martín Hernández, Rimas Álvarez Kairelis and Mario Ledesma all withdrew to take part in the 2003–04 Top 16 play-offs with their respective clubs.
Name Position Club Notes Hooker Castres Withdrew Hooker Mendoza Prop Béziers Prop Mendoza Prop Agen Prop Gloucester Lock Colomiers Lock USA Perpignan Withdrew Lock Castres Back row Duendes Back row Champagnat Back row Narbonne Captain Back row Petrarca Back row Plymouth Albion Scrum-half Los Tilos Scrum-half Petrarca Scrum-half San Isidro Scrum-half Stade Français Withdrew Fly-half Los Tordos Fly-half Leinster Fly-half Béziers Fly-half Stade Français Withdrew Centre Newman Centre Biarritz Centre Grenoble Centre Hindú Wing Club Pucará Wing Huirapuca Full-back Stade Français Withdrew
South Africa South Africa were playing two home tests against Ireland and one against Wales. Like Argentina, these were South Africa's first internationals since the 2003 Rugby World Cup. They were also the team's first matches under new head coach Jake White, who replaced Rudolf Straeuli after the World Cup. The South Africa management had been criticised for only selecting one non-white player, Ashwin Willemse, for the World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand. On 16 May 2004, they named six black players in their 22-man squad to begin the summer; in addition to Willemse, they also called up Eddie Andrews, Bolla Conradie, Quinton Davids, Wayne Julies and Hanyani Shimange. Full-back Percy Montgomery was also named despite breaking his hand while playing for the Newport Gwent Dragons two days before the squad was announced.
Name Position Club Notes Hooker Free State Hooker Sharks Captain Prop Western Province Prop Free State Prop Lions Lock Blue Bulls Lock Western Province Lock Blue Bulls Back row Western Province Back row Free State Back row Western Province Back row Blue Bulls Scrum-half Western Province Scrum-half Blue Bulls Fly-half Leicester Tigers Centre Western Province Centre Lions Centre Western Province Centre Free State Wing Sharks Wing Lions Full-back Newport Gwent Dragons
Results Wales vs Barbarians Wales' first match of the summer saw them warm up for their southern hemisphere tour with their fourth meeting with the Barbarians in as many years, played at Ashton Gate in Bristol on 26 May. Fly-half Ceri Sweeney scored all of Wales' points in the first half, converting his own try and adding two penalties to give them a 13–0 lead. Gareth Thomas, Rhys Williams, Dwayne Peel, Gavin Henson and Hal Luscombe all scored tries in the second half, with Sweeney adding two further conversions, while the defence stood firm to keep a clean sheet; it was the first time the Barbarians had failed to score in a match since 1978. Thomas suffered an ankle injury during the game that meant he had to be substituted after an hour, putting him in doubt for the tour.
FB 15Gareth ThomasRW 14Rhys WilliamsOC 13Sonny ParkerIC 12Gavin HensonLW 11Shane WilliamsFH 10Ceri SweeneySH 9 Dwayne PeelN8 8 Michael OwenOF 7 Jason ForsterBF 6 Colin Charvis (c)RL 5 Gareth LlewellynLL 4 Brent CockbainTP 3 Adam JonesHK 2 Mefin DaviesLP 1 Duncan JonesReplacements:HK 16Huw BennettPR 17Gethin JenkinsLK 18Peter SidoliFL 19Dafydd JonesSH 20Mike PhillipsFH 21Nicky RobinsonCE 22Hal LuscombeCoach:Mike Ruddock FB 15 Bruce ReihanaRW 14 Dafydd JamesOC 13 Damien TrailleIC 12 Nathan GreyLW 11 Breyton PaulseFH 10 Matt Burke (c)SH 9 Neil de KockN8 8 Eric MillerOF 7 André VosBF 6 Olivier MagneRL 5 Mark ConnorsLL 4 Brad MikaTP 3 Richard BandsHK 2 Matt SextonLP 1 Ollie le RouxReplacements:HK 16 Anton OliverPR 17 Jason LeonardLK 18 Owen FineganFL 19 Aaron PersicoSH 20 Mark RobinsonFH 21 David HumphreysFB 22 Thomas CastaignèdeCoach:Alan Solomons
Argentina vs Wales (1st test) Wales coach Mike Ruddock made just one change to the team that started the match against the Barbarians, as Hal Luscombe came in on the right wing for Rhys Williams, who was filling in for the injured Gareth Thomas at full-back. Meanwhile, Jason Forster retained his position in the back row to earn his first full cap at the age of 33, while 35-year-old lock Gareth Llewellyn surpassed Neil Jenkins as Wales' most-capped player with 88 international appearances. Argentina's selection was affected by the release of five players back to their French clubs in order to appear in the Top 16 championship play-offs, including captain Agustín Pichot. Number 8 Gonzalo Longo replaced Pichot as captain, while uncapped forwards Pablo Cardinali and Martín Schusterman were named on the bench.
Longo scored the only try of the first half, combining with Felipe Contepomi's four penalties to give Argentina a 19–9 lead at the break. The hosts opened up an unassailable lead early in the second half, however, thanks to a trio of unanswered tries: two from Lucas Borges and another from Contepomi. Dwayne Peel scored a breakaway try for Wales, but Martín Gaitán restored Argentina's lead. Forster pulled Wales back with a debut try shortly after, only for Manuel Contepomi to again push Argentina seemingly out of reach. But with just over 10 minutes to play, Colin Charvis sparked a flurry of Welsh scores, with Sonny Parker and Luscombe following suit to reduce the deficit to six points. On the last play of the game, Shane Williams made a line break and played an inside pass to Parker, only for the centre to knock on, confirming an Argentine victory.
FB 15Hernán SenillosaRW 14Lucas BorgesOC 13Martín Gaitán IC 12Manuel ContepomiLW 11José María Núñez PiossekFH 10Felipe ContepomiSH 9 Matias AlbinaN8 8 Gonzalo Longo (c)OF 7 Martín Durand BF 6 Lucas Ostiglia RL 5 Patricio AlbaceteLL 4 Ignacio Fernández LobbeTP 3 Omar Hasan HK 2 Federico MéndezLP 1 Rodrigo RonceroReplacements:HK 16Eusebio GuiñazúPR 17Pablo Cardinali LK 18Pablo Bouza FL 19Martín Schusterman SH 20Lucio Lopez FlemingFH 21German BustosCE 22José Orengo Coach:Marcelo Loffreda FB 15Rhys Williams RW 14Hal LuscombeOC 13Sonny ParkerIC 12Gavin HensonLW 11Shane WilliamsFH 10Ceri Sweeney SH 9 Dwayne Peel N8 8 Michael OwenOF 7 Jason ForsterBF 6 Colin Charvis (c) RL 5 Gareth LlewellynLL 4 Brent CockbainTP 3 Adam Jones HK 2 Mefin Davies LP 1 Duncan Jones Replacements:HK 16Huw Bennett PR 17Gethin Jenkins PR 18Darren Morris FL 19Jonathan ThomasSH 20Mike Phillips FH 21Nicky Robinson CE 22Tom Shanklin Coach:Mike Ruddock
Argentina vs Wales (2nd test) Wales brought in four new faces for the second test: Huw Bennett and Dafydd Jones in the forwards, and Nicky Robinson and Tom Shanklin in the backs. Bennett and Shanklin came in for Mefin Davies and Rhys Williams, who had been ill in the week; both were thought to have recovered in time to be named as substitutes, but Williams was ultimately left out in favour of Barry Davies. Ceri Sweeney, whom Robinson replaced, was also named on the bench, but Jason Forster was left out altogether despite a try-scoring debut the previous week. There were two positional changes in the starting XV as Colin Charvis moved from blindside to openside and Gavin Henson moved from inside centre to full-back. Argentina made two changes to their starting line-up, as centre José Orengo replaced Martín Gaitán, who had suffered a groin injury, and Nicolás Fernández Miranda returned from domestic duty with his club, Petrarca.
Shane Williams scored a first-half hat-trick of tries, two of which were converted by Henson. He also scored two penalties to give Wales a 25–0 lead at half-time, aided by Ignacio Fernández Lobbe's yellow card for coming in at the side of a ruck. After the break, Charvis was sin-binned for the second week in a row for killing the ball, resulting in Hernán Senillosa kicking Argentina's first points of the game. This was soon followed by their opening try, scored by Federico Martín Aramburú and converted by Senillosa. Omar Hasan reduced the deficit to 10 points with another try following a turnover from a Wales line-out in Argentina territory, but another Henson penalty and a try from Nicky Robinson put Wales 20 points up again. Shane Williams was yellow-carded late on for killing the ball, and Lucas Borges completed the scoring with a try awarded after video review.