The 1978 Argentina rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and Italy was a series of nine matches played by the Argentina national rugby union team in September and October 1978.[2]
Six of the nine matches were played in England, with the tourists going on to play one match each in Wales, Ireland and Italy. The tour featured the first ever test match between Argentina and Italy.
Argentina won five matches, lost three and drew one. The draw came against England,[3] although England did not award full international caps for the fixture.[citation needed]
The tour captain, Hugo Porta, played all nine games, scored 94 of the team's 157 points on tour and, according to Rothmans Rugby Yearbook, "established himself as one of the world's great players" on the tour.[4]
The matches
Complete list of matches played by Argentina:[2]
Southern Counties
| Southern Counties | 9–39 | Argentina |
| Pen: I. Gale (3) | | Try: Porta, Cappelletti, Cerioni
Madero, Puccio, Petersen
Con: Porta (3)
Pen: Porta (3) |
Southern Counties: I.Gale. Clive Rees, B.Reynolds, D.Course-, R.Ellis Jones; J.Wright e I.George; G.Sharpe, R.Jackson, J.Coock, J.Mawle, John Orwin, Paul Rendall, A.Jenkins, Gary Pearce.
Argentina: M.Sansot; A.Puccio, R.Madero, M.Loffreda, A.Cappelletti; H.Porta (capt.), R.Landajo; C.Serreno, H.Silva, T.Petersen; A.Iachetti, G.Travaglini; H.Nicola; R..Seaton, A.Cerioni.
London Division
| London Division | 22–15 | Argentina |
Try: Ripley, French, Preston
Con: Bushell 2
Pen: Bushell 2 | | Try: Madero
Con: Porta
Pen: Porta
Drop: Porta, Sansot |
London Division: K.M.Bushell; R.O.Demming; N.R.French, Clive Woodward, Derek Wyatt; Nick Preston, M.R.Conner; T.C.Claston, P.d'A.Keith-Roach (capt.) A.J.Cutter, Neil Mantell, Maurice Colclough, A.C.Alexander, Bob Mordell, Andy Ripley.
Argentina: M.Sansot; A.Puccio, M.Loffreda, R.Madero, A.Cappelletti; H.Porta (capt.), R.Landajo; H.Silva, T.Pe¬tersen, G.Paz; G.Travaglini, A.Iachetti; H.Nicola, A.Cubelli, A.Cerioni.
Northern Division
North of England: D.Boyd; Peter Squires, Tony Bond, W.Lyon, Mike Slemen; John Horton, Malcolm Young; Fran Cotton; K.Pacey, J.Bell, Bill Beaumont (capt.), J.Buttler, Peter Dixon, P.Moss, K.Higgins.
Argentina: M.Sansot; M.Campo, J.Trueco, R.Madero, A.Cappelletti; H.Porta (capt.), R.Landajo; T.Petersen, C.Serrano, H.Silva; A.Iachetti, R.Passaglia; H.Nicola, R.Sea¬ton, E.Rodríguez.
North Midlands
North Midlands: P.J.Mumford.C.Perry, A.Watson-Jones, M.K.Swain, M.A.Hall; Les Cusworth, P.C.Bullock; T.F.Corless, G.N.J.Cox, J.J.Moore, B.Aire, N.J.Bekewell, J.C.White, T.Clarke, D.Nutt.
Argentina: M.Sansot; M.Campo, M.Lofreda, R.Madero, A.Cappelletti; H.Porta (capt.), A.Soares Gache; G.Paz, C.Serrano, G.Travaglini; R.Passaglia, A.Iachetti; H.Nicola, R.Seaton, A.Cerioni.
The English Students
| English Students | 9–15 | Argentina |
Try: I. Wilkins
Con: Rose
Pen: Rose | | Try: Porta
Con: Porta
Pen: Porta 3 |
English Students: Marcus Rose; J.Basnett, A.Harrower, Clive Woodward, P.Asquith; 1.Wilkins, M.Conner; S.Wilkes, M.Howe, J.Doubleday, Paul Ackford, Steve Bainbridge, Toby Allchurch, Nick Jeavons, Peter Polledri.
Argentina: E.Sanguinetti; M.Campo, J.Escalante, R.Madero, A.Cappelletti; H.Porta (capt.), R.Landajo; G.Paz, G.Travaglini, H.Silva; R.Passaglia, A.Iachetti; H.Nicola, A.Cubelli, A.Cerioni.
England
England: 15. Kevin Bushell, 14.
Peter Squires, 13.
Peter Warfield, 12.
Paul Dodge, 11.
Mike Slemen, 10.
John Horton, 9.Chris Gifford, 1.
Barry Nelmes, 2.
Peter Wheeler, 3.
Fran Cotton, 4.
Bill Beaumont, 5.
Maurice Colclough, 6.
Peter Dixon, 7.
Mike Rafter, 8.
John Scott
Argentina: 15.Martin Sansot, 14.
Marcelo Campo, 13.
Marcelo Loffreda, 12.
Rafael Madero, 11.Adolfo Cappelletti, 10.
Hugo Porta(c), 9.Tomas Landajo, 8.
Gabriel Travaglini, 6.
Héctor Silva, 7.Tomas Petersen, 5.Alejandro Iachetti, 4.Ricardo Passaglia, 3.Alejandro Cerioni, 2.Alejandro Cubelli, 1.Hugo Nicola
Wales "B"
| Wales B | 14–17 | Argentina |
Try: Lewis, Hutchings
Pen: Barry 2 | | Try: Campo, Serrano
Pen: Porta, Sansot
Drop: Porta |
Wales "B": I.Walsh; Elgan Rees, N.Hutchings, Peter Morgan, R.Ellis¬Jones; D.Barry, Gerald Williams; D.Jones, G.Davies, D.Lewis, Richard Moriarty, Steve Sutton, Gareth Williams, Ch.Seldon, Paul Ringer.
Argentina: M.Sansot; M.Campo, M.Loffreda, R.Madero, A.Cappelletti; H.Porta (capt.), A.Soares Gache; T.Peter¬sen, C.Serrano, G, Travaglini; R.Passaglia, A.lachetti; H.Nicola, A.Cubelli, A.Cerioni.
Leinster
| Leinster | 13–24 | Argentina |
Try: Andrucetti
Pen: Quinn 3 | | Try: Travaglini
Con: Porta
Pen: Porta 4 Sansot
Drop: Porta |
Leinster: F.Ennis; Terry Kennedy, P.Andrucetti, Paul McNaughton, Freddie McLennan; M.Quinn, John Moloney (capt.); Phil Orr, John Cantrell, M.Fitzpatrick, Willie Duggan, E.O'Raffertty, Fergus Slattery, Shay Deering, Mike Gibson.
Argentina: M.Sansot; M.Campo, J.Trucco, R.Madero, A.Cappelletti; H.Porta (capt.), Landajo; H.Silva, T.Petersen, G.Travaglini; R.Passaglia, A.lachetti; H.Nicola, A.Cubelli, A.Cerioni.
Italy
Italy  | 19–6 |  Argentina |
Try: R Francescato, Ghizzoni
Con: Zuin
Pen: Zuin 2
Drop: Zuin | | Pen: Porta
Drop: Porta |
Italy: 15.Rocco Caligiuri, 14.Massimo Mascioletti, 13.Nello Francescato, 12.Rino Francescato, 11.Serafino Ghizzoni, 10.Loredano Zuin, 9.Angelo Visentin, 8.Elio de Anna, 7.Fiorenzo Blessano, 6.Paolo Mariani, 5.Adriano Fedrigo, 4.Fulvio di Carlo, 3.Ambrogio Bona (capT.), 2.Claudio Robazza, 1.Anacleto Altigieri – Replacement: Narciso Zanella
Argentina 15.Eduardo Sanguinetti, 14.Martín Sansot, 13.Javier Escalante, 12.Rafael Madero, 11.Marcelo Campo, 10.Hugo Porta (cap), 9.Alfredo Soares Gache, 8.Gabriel Travaglini, 7.Tomás Petersen, 6.Carlos Serrano, 5.Ricardo Passaglia, 4.Alejandro Iachetti, 3.Alejandro Cerioni, 2.Alejandro Cubelli, 1.Rodolfo Ventura – Replacement: Adolfo Cappelletti, Hugo Nicola
England [1]
