Anxious Argentina hold off winless Italy in Nations Championship

The win ended Argentina's six Tests winless run. Argentina survived late nerves to beat winless Italy 19-14 in a scrappy Nations Championship in Genoa on Saturday. Italy had lost all four of their games in the first year of the inter-hemisphere tournament without even collecting a bonus point but took a fourth minute lead. Leonardo Marin’s kick bounced up nicely for winger Monty Ioane to touch down in the corner. Argentina dominated the rest of the first half but their only reward came two minutes from the end when hooker Bautista Bernasconi was shoved over from a maul. The Pumas, who had not lost to Italy since 2007, appeared to be making their territorial control count around the hour. One winger Rodrigo Isgro went over in the corner after 54 minutes and the other, Mateo Carreras, broke through five minutes later. Tomas Albornoz converted two of the three tries. The Italians fought back as the anxious Pumas made more and more errors. After 62 minutes the hosts forced a penalty try. Substitute lock Efrain Elias received a yellow card for his role in bringing down a maul on the Argentine line. Italy pressed against 14 men but undermined their attempts to find a breakthrough with errors. The game ended when fly half Paolo Garbisi trying to set up a lineout in a scoring position missed his penalty touch kick. The result left Italy doomed to finish last in the Northern Hemisphere pool. They face Fiji in their last match in Udine on November 21 and could face the same opponent again the following weekend in the wooden-spoon match at the finals at Twickenham. Argentina, whose only previous win in the competition was at home to Wales in July, overtook Australia to climb to third in the Southern Hemisphere pool. They face Northern leaders France next weekend in Paris.