Pumas edge Santa Fe arm-wrestle
The win was only the second for Southern Hemisphere side in a day of dramatic upsets.
New Zealand beat a willing Wales, before England (over Australia) and Ireland (over South Africa) scored victories for the north.
The Pumas, although not entirely convincing, managed to level the score at two-all for the south.
They trailed 17-19 with the last quarter approaching. A Matias Moroni try, converted by Nicolas Sánchez – who added a penalty soon afterwards – saw the home team take a 30-19 lead.
The Azzurri came back with a Simone Favaro try and then threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Pumas. However, the home team managed to hang on for the win.
The win by Argentina also spoilt the debut of Italy coach Conor O'Shea.
Former Ireland fullback O'Shea has vowed to create "the best Italian team ever" and will draw some comfort from the close scoreline after five heavy Six Nations Championship beatings under French coach Jacques Brunel.
The Azzurri had a late chance to snatch victory when they dispossessed the Pumas after the hosts won a scrum close to their try-line, but the visitors were penalised.
Sanchez slotted six penalties and a conversion from nine shots at goal while rival playmaker Carlo Canna struck a conversion and four penalties from six attempts.
Argentina led 17-16 at half-time under a clear sky after each team scored one try and Sanchez and Canna rivalled each other in a goal-kicking duel.
Wing Manuel Montero, absent injured when Argentina finished fourth at the World Cup in England last year, was the Pumas try scorer after 25 minutes to create a 11-6 advantage.
Veteran centre Juan Martin Hernández delivered a perfectly weighted chip into the corner and Montero bravely dived to dot down under pressure from several Italians.
Leading 2015 World Cup points scorer Sanchez failed to convert from the touchline, his only miss of the half as he slotted four penalties from varied distances and angles
Another wing, Leonardo Sarto, crossed the try-line for Italy on 33 minutes and the conversion by Canna left the home team just one point ahead.
Excellent support play followed by a dummy from centre Michele Campagnaro created just enough space for Sarto to get over in the corner.
The half-time score reflected the closeness of the Test with neither team gaining a distinct ascendancy in the set-pieces or loose exchanges.
But despite leading at the break, Argentina coach Daniel Hourcade will have been furious that a string of recent red and yellow cards and bans involving his players continued.
Lock Guido Petti was sin-binned on 28 minutes after one of the commonest fouls in Southern Hemisphere rugby – lifting an opponent, then 'dumping' him to the ground.
Prop Ramiro Herrera and lock Tomas Lavanini were ruled out of the Test because of Super Rugby shoulder-charge bans playing for the Jaguares, the Argentine national team in disguise.
Experienced international No.8 Leonardo Senatore was another absentee in Santa Fe as he is serving a 10-week suspension for biting.
Italy nudged ahead for the first time two minutes into the second half via a fourth Canna penalty only for Sanchez to atone for his second miss by kicking another penalty for a 20-19 lead.
That lead stretched to eight points as the Test reached the hour mark thanks to a try by wing Matias Moroni that Sanchez converted.
Sanchez was the architect of the try, breaking down the middle and passing to Moroni, who cut inside and shrugged off a tackle.
A sixth successful Sanchez penalty and the Pumas were 30-19 ahead before Italy stayed in contention through an unconverted pushover try by flank Simone Favaro.
Argentina now host France in a two-Test series, starting next Sunday, while Italy continue an Americas tour with one-off Tests against the United States and Canada.
Man of the match: Luke McLean was inventive on attack, Carlo Canna the general and flank Simone Favaro the Italians' most productive player. Santiago Cordero asked a lot of questions of the Azzurri defence and Martín Landajo was influential. However, the man that turned the game on its head was Argentinian flyhalf Nicolás Sánchez and our man of the match.
Moment of the match: The game was more entertaining than all the pre-match predictions suggested, but the most significant moment was the Matías Moroni try in the 58th minute. Italy were leading 19-17 at that stage and the score regained the lead for the home team – a lead they never conceded.
Villain: It was physical, but nothing overly nasty.
The scorers:
For Argentina:
Tries: Montero, Moroni
Con: Sanchez
Pens: Sanchez 6
For Italy:
Tries: Sarto, Favaro
Con: Canna
Pens: Canna 4
Yellow card: Guido Petti (Argentina, 28 – foul play, lifting tackle)
Teams:
Argentina: 15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Juan Martín Hernández, 11 Manuel Montero, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Martín Landajo, 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Tomás Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matías Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustín Creevy (captain), 1 Santiago García Botta.
Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Felipe Arregui, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Javier Ortega Desio, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 23 Ramiro Moyano.
Italy: 15 Luke McLean, 14 Leonardo Sarto, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Tommaso Boni, 11 David Odiete, 10 Carlo Canna, 9 Edoardo Gori, 8 Andries van Schalkwyk, 7 Simone Favaro, 6 Abraham Steyn, 5 Marco Fuser, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Ornel Gega, 1 Andrea Lovotti
Replacements: 16 Oliviero Fabiani, 17 Sami Panico, 18 Pietro Ceccarelli, 19 Valerio Bernabò, 20 Robert Barbieri, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Tommaso Allan, 23 Giovanbattista Venditti
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), Joaquín Montes (Uruguay)
