Wales may have posted a record victory over Argentina and helped wash away the bitter taste of defeat by South Africa but this impressive demolition of the Pumas came at the end of the week of disappearing centres.
Jonathan Davies's announcement last week that he was leaving the Scarlets next season for a new life with Clermont Auvergne is more bad news for the domestic game in Wales. But Warren Gatland now has a more immediate concern of finding two new centres to face Tonga in Cardiff on Friday night.
Cory Allen, the 20-year-old debutant from Cardiff Blues who replaced the injured Davies here, finished the afternoon with a dislocated shoulder. His new centre partner Scott Williams, himself standing in for the injured Jamie Roberts this autumn, is also doubtful for Friday after damaging a ligament in his toe.
No wonder Gatland was scratching his head on Saturday night when asked about his potential three-quarter line for what will be another physical examination from the Tongans. "Owen Williams is back in training and Ashley Beck may start but after that, well, who knows?" said the national coach of what may in Ireland now be known as the curse of Brian O'Driscoll.
Gatland, whose omission of O'Driscoll in favour of Davies for the third Lions Test in Australia last summer caused such a furore, will hope Williams, a 21-year-old from the Blues who made his Wales debut in Japan in the same month, will forge an instant rapport with Beck of the Ospreys, who played the last eight minutes on Saturday after the unlucky Allen left the field.
Gatland may alternatively be tempted to harness the physical threat of George North in the centre or start with Perpignan's James Hook, who filled in as full-back for part of the South Africa match. Either way this is not the best preparation for facing Australia on Saturday week and Wales will be looking for a very large cardboard box full of cotton wool for whoever is selected.
Australia and not an Argentina side in decline are the acid test for Wales this month. They have recovered from their defeat at Twickenham to win convincingly in Turin and Dublin, so Gatland can hardly afford any more casualties this weekend. The Pumas may have lost eight games in a row now but they are not exactly pussycats and there were some bruised and battered Welsh bodies here on Saturday night.
But Toby Faletau, the captain Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric were outstanding in the back row, giving Pablo Matera, the young Argentina flanker of whom much is expected when he settles in at Leicester, an uncomfortable afternoon. Gethin Jenkins, celebrating his 100th cap, and Richard Hibbard, tackling ferociously, were unyielding in the battle with the famed Argentinian scrummagers.
The Welsh back row, reunited after an ankle injury to Dan Lydiate, helped give Wales a solid forward platform and what is left of Wales's back line played with ambition personified by a counterattack from behind his own line in the first half by Scott Williams which could have given North his second try. Instead the Northampton wing, backing up spectacularly, spurned the two men inside him and went for the corner only to collide painfully with Argentina's lock Patricio Albacete. "Yes, we did leave a couple of tries out there but we played with a lot of desire," said Wales's backs coach, Rob Howley.
Orchestrating them was Dan Biggar, who did little wrong on his comeback after being left out of the squad against South Africa. Gatland, though, was equivocal in his praise for the only Wales player who started the win over England eight months ago not to make his Lions squad. Rhys Priestland was dropped after the South Africa defeat and the fly-half position, as ever, continues to be a subject for endless debate in Wales.
Wales Halfpenny; North, Allen (Beck, 72), S Williams, Liam Williams; Biggar (Hook, 68), Phillips (Lloyd Williams, 68); Jenkins (James, 68), Hibbard (Owens, 62), Rhodri Jones (Lee, 68), Davies (Charteris, 57), AW Jones, Warburton (capt), Tipuric, Faletau (Ryan Jones, 74).
Tries Phillips, North, Faletau, Owens. Cons Halfpenny 4. Pens Halfpenny 4.
Sin-bin Tipuric, 12; Lee 78.
Argentina Tuculet (Amorosino, h-t); Agulla, Bosch, Fernández (Ascárate, 59), Cordero; Sánchez, Landajo; Ayerza (Lobo, 72), Guiñazú (Valdez, 66), Bustos (Díaz, 74), Carriza (Lavanini, 66), Albacete, Matera (Senatore, 55), Cabello, Leguizamón (capt).
Pens Sánchez 2.
Referee J Lacey (Ireland). Attendance 43,253.
