IT WASN’T particularly pretty but victory for Wales over Argentina went some way to repairing the significant damage caused by the team’s nightmare showing against Australia a week earlier.

The hosts’ performance at the Principality Stadium on Saturday was an improvement, thanks largely to Alun Wyn Jones and Liam Williams, two men who missed the Wallabies horror show.

Jones, playing 48 hours before his father’s funeral, was outstanding around the park, as was winger Williams, who scored his country’s first try.

Scrum-half Gareth Davies got the second – both came after the half-time interval – while full-back Leigh Halfpenny kicked 14 points.

The Pumas had promised much following their handsome defeat of Japan in Tokyo and, although they were in the game until the final whistle, they failed to hit their stride with ball in hand.

Centre Juan Martin Hernandez and scrum-half Martin Landajo cross for the visitors and fly-half Nicolas Sanchez added the rest of Argentina’s points from the kicking tee.

Wales’ win ended their run of five successive Test losses and gave skipper Gethin Jenkins and outside-half Dan Biggar extra reason to cheer on a special day for the duo.

Jenkins made his 133rd Test appearance to break the world record for a front-row forward, while Biggar reached 50 caps, eight years after his debut against Canada.

Having led Wales out, Biggar looked on as Sanchez made no mistake with his first shot at goal.

The response from Rob Howley’s men was a good one with Halfpenny levelling the scores, albeit after his side had turned the ball over at an attacking lineout.

There was not much to separate the teams in the first quarter with try scoring opportunities at a premium.

But changed when the Wales pack earned a penalty at scrum time near halfway.

Wales’ rolling maul from the resulting lineout almost worked a treat and, after Ross Moriarty’s path to the line was blocked, the Argentinians infringed to give Halfpenny another three points.

With the home side on the front foot, Argentina struggled to get out of their own half in the minutes that followed.

But despite working their way into some promising positions, Wales lacked a cutting edge when going for the whitewash.

The Pumas spoiled another catch and drive, and then managed to force Williams into touch when the left wing made a desperate attempt to ground the ball in the corner.

Camped in the opposition’s 22 for virtually the whole of the second quarter, Wales had to settle for a 6-3 half-time lead after the Pumas’ pack won a scrum penalty to relieve the pressure.

Despite not being able to break through a resolute Pumas rearguard at the end of the first period, it took Wales just two minutes of the second half to get over the try line.

Biggar made the initial line break on the right and when he offloaded to Halfpenny it looked as if the full-back was going to score.

When he didn’t Wales moved the ball left and it was that man Williams who shrugged off his marker to burrow over.

The referee had to go to the TMO but Williams had done just enough to get the ball on the whitewash. Halfpenny missed the conversion.

An incident-packed start to proceedings continued as a mass brawl broke out on the Argentina 22.

After calling on the TMO again, the referee penalised Jones, allowing the Pumas to clear downfield.

And from that the visitors struck back, Landajo taking a quick tap penalty to burst clear and put in a grubber kick which Hernandez got to first ahead of Biggar.

Sanchez converted the try and the Wales lead was now down to one point at 11-10.

Back came Wales and they stretched their advantage once more.

Their second try all came from a mistake by Argentina left wing Ramiro Moyano, who put a foot in touch just before clearing his lines.

Wales made the most of it and after the forwards had done the hard work Davies sniped from close range to dot down. Halfpenny converted this time.

Argentina, however, wouldn’t go away and it was their turn to celebrate a second try just after the hour mark.

Landajo squeezed his way through a pile of bodies to breach Wales’ defence on the fringes of the ruck – the TMO was required before the score was awarded.

Sanchez maintained his good form with the boot to make it 18-17.

The hosts were given a bit of breathing space by Halfpenny with another three-pointer, but with five minutes left Sanchez replied in kind.

Referee Angus Gardner deemed the fly-half had taken a high tackle from Luke Charteris, although it was a very harsh decision considering Sanchez’s low body position at impact.

Crucially, the Pumas infringed soon after and the trusty boot of Halfpenny made them pay, and 24-20 was how it ended.

Wales: L Halfpenny; G North, J Davies, S Williams, Li Williams; D Biggar, G Davies; G Jenkins (capt) (N Smith 63), K Owens (S Baldwin 46), T Francis, L Charteris, A W Jones, S Warburton, J Tipuric, R Moriarty

Reps not used: S Lee, C Hill, J King, Ll Williams, G Anscombe, J Roberts

Argentina: J Tuculet (J de la Fuente 37); M Moroni, M Orlando, J M Hernandez (S G Iglesias 75), R Moyano; N Sanchez, M Landajo (T Cubelli 63); L Noguera (S G Botta 50), A Creevy (capt) (J Montoya 65), R Herrera (E Pieretto 71), G Petti (T Lezana 59), M Alemanno, P Matera (L Senatore 63), J O Desio (L Senatore 40-50), F Isa

Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)

Attendance: 50,175

Argus star man: Liam Williams (Wales)