The Argentina XV ensured that Romania’s 2025 South American tour was winless. The Eastern Europeans’ three-match tour concluded in Buenos Aires on Friday. The expectations were not the brightest following record defeats against Chile in Santiago and Uruguay in Montevideo.
The Argentina XV had firm control over the contest virtually from start to finish. A strong first-half had the Argentina XV leading 33-7 at half-time. The big lead came with five tries scored by the hosts and one by the visitors.
Three of the Argentina XV’s first half tries came from lineouts. Juan Ignacio Greising Revol scored the first from a move reminiscent of those from Super Rugby Americas. Romania’s first try saw Yanis Horvat scoring late in the opening quarter. It kept his team in the match for the time being.
The Argentina XV responded to Romania’s 17th minute try to score three unanswered tries in the second quarter. Facundo Cardozo, Tobías Wade and Thomas Gallo all scored one each. Wade’s try was the pick of them. the Los Pumas 7’s player slotted in very well at fullback to combine with Bautista Farisé to slice open the defense.
The second-half saw Romania scoring once and the argentina XV adding three tries. Cipriani scored tries in both halves while Julián Quetglas and Agustín Toth both scored in the second-half.
- Test caps were not rewarded in the match. The only capped Argentine players were props Thomas Gallo and Rodrigo Martínez.
- Romanian players Sebastien Tofan and Cristian Nedelcu remain uncapped.
- The Argentina XV is the Argentine next-of-XV behind Los Pumas.
- The Argentina XV previously played under other names but was rebranded to be the Argentina XV in 2016.
- The most recent test match between Argentina and Romania was won by Argentina in Bucharest in 2021.
- Six Super Rugby Americas teams, from the 2025 season, were represented by the Argentina XV against Romania: Dogos, Pampas, Tarucas, Selknam (Chile), Peñarol (Uruguay) and Yacare (Paraguay).
ARGENTINA XV
TRY – JI Greising Revol (6′); L Cipriani 2 (11′, 56′); F Cardozo (24′); T Wade (36′), T Gallo (40′); J Quetglas (63′); A Toth (72′)
CON – B Farisé 4 (7′, 24′, 36′, 40′); JB Baronio 2 (57′, 73′)
ROMANIA
TRY – Y Horvat (17′); C Boboc (65′)
CON – A Mitrea (18′, 66′)
YC – A Mahu (62′)
ARGENTINA XV
1 Thomas Gallo (Benetton, IT), 2 Juan Manuel Vivas (Tarucas), 3 Francisco Moreno (Tarucas), 4 Lautaro Simes (Dogos), 5. Federico Albrisi (Dogos), 6 Facundo Cardozo (Dogos), 7 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel – capt. (Pampas), 8. Genaro Fissore (Dogos), 9. Alejo Sugasti (Los Pumas 7’s), 10. Bautista Farisé (Peñarol), 11. Julián Quetglas (Yacare, PY), 12 Tomás Medina (Tarucas), 13 Leonardo Gea Salim (Dogos), 14 Lautaro Cipriani (Dogos), 15 Tobías Wade (Los Pumas 7’s)
Replacements: 16 Juan Ignacio Greising Revol (Dogos), 17 Rodrigo Martínez (Dragons, GB-CYM), 18 Bautista Bosch (Pampas), 19 Agustín Toth (Selknam, CL), 20 Agustín Sarelli (Tarucas), 21 Tomás Di Biase (Peñarol, UY), 22 Juan Bautista Baronio (Dogos), 23 Benjamín Belaga (CASI), 24 Juan Penoucos (Pampas), 25 Bruno Heit (Pampas)
ROMANIA
1 Iulian Hartig (Dinamo), 2 Tudor Butnariu (Timișoara), 3 Vasile Balan (Steaua), 4 Yanis Horvat (Albi, FR), 5 Adrian Moțoc (Biarritz, FR), 6 Florian Roșu (Știința Baia Mare), 7 Matthew Tweddle (Steaua), 8 Vlad Neculau – capt. (Timișoara), 9 Toma Mîrzac (Știința Baia Mare), 10 Mihai Mureșan (Știința Baia Mare), 11 Taliauli Sikuea (Știința Baia Mare), 12 Fonovai Tangimana (Dinamo), 13 Sebastien Tofan (Perpignan Espoirs, FR), 14 David Rafael Florea Jilăveanu (Steaua), 15 Antonio Mitrea (Aurillac Espoirs, FR)
Replacements: 16. Lukas Mitu (Castres, FR), 17 Ciprian Chiriac (Timișoara), 18 Gheorghe Gajion (Mont de Marsan, FR), 19 Damian Strătilă (Steaua), 20 Cristi Boboc (Steaua București) 21 Vlăduț Bocăneț (Știința Baia Mare), 22 Cristian Nedelcu (Steaua), 23 Romeo Corrado-Ștețco (Timișoara), 24 Andrei Mahu (Massy, FR), 25 Thomas Crețu (Dax, FR)
Video: To Follow
Referee: Francisco González (Uruguay)
Assistant Referees: Cauã Ricardo (Brazil); Frank Méndez (Chile)
