Wales too strong for Argentina

Wales concluded their summer Test schedule by recording a comfortable 28-13 victory over Argentina at the Millennium Stadium.

Much of Wales' early play was disjointed and littered with errors, but they ruthlessly took their scoring chances and fly-half James Hook made another composed goal-kicking contribution.

Number eight Andy Powell pressed a late claim for inclusion in coach Warren Gatland's 30-man World Cup squad by scoring Wales' opening try just before half-time. Lock Alun-Wyn Jones then followed suit 90 seconds later, giving Wales a healthy advantage that they never looked like losing, before wing George North touched down seven minutes from time.

Hook slotted two conversions and three penalties, while his opposite number Felipe Contepomi replied with a penalty double and conversion of substitute prop Martin Scelzo's late try.

Both sides, though, will need to find at least another gear before their World Cup openers against South Africa and England respectively.

Gatland will welcome back several of his big guns for that Springboks clash in Wellington on September 11 - the likes of Shane Williams, Mike Phillips and Sam Warburton - and they will head to New Zealand following a strong August showing.

They beat England and Argentina on home soil after outscoring England on tries during a narrow defeat at Twickenham, and there were mercifully no fresh injuries to trouble Gatland.

He has already lost Gavin Henson, Matthew Rees and Morgan Stoddart from his World Cup plans, while the likes of Gethin Jenkins, Ryan Jones, Stephen Jones and Rhys Priestland have been nursing various ailments.

But Wales appeared to emerge unscathed from a largely disappointing encounter, while Argentina offered little to suggest they will revisit the heights of their last World Cup campaign when they finished third after beating France twice.