Italy ... 6 Argentina ... 36 Italy will await next week's visit from Australia with trepidation after they were outclassed by Argentina. Azzurri coach John Kirwan has some serious thinking to do if his side are to avoid complete humiliation against the Wallabies.
They were outscored by five tries to nil as the Pumas showed the kind of invention in the backs that eluded the home side completely.
Two early penalties converted by Argentina-born Diego Dominguez had put Italy in front but that was as good as it got for the home team and the sparse crowd in Rome's Flaminio stadium.
Jose Orengo crossed for Argentina's first points before a Felipe Contepomi penalty put the tourists in front. After that, everything went the way of the Pumas as they cruised into a 15-6 lead at half-time, thanks to a try from Ignacio Corleto, converted by Contepomi.
Argentina captain Lisandro Arbizu, at the heart of most of his side's positive play, carved through open space to feed Corleto for his score.
Veteran outhalf Dominguez then retreated from the field to be replaced by Gert Peens as Kirwan sought to revive his flagging side.
However, the Argentinians then crushed their hosts in the second half with tries from Rolando Martin, Diego Luis Albanese and Martin Durand, while Contepomi's kicking was almost flawless.
Italy have lost 14 games in a row in the Six Nations and, while they came through a World Cup qualifying campaign ahead of Spain, Russia and Georgia, they remain second division on the global stage.
ITALY: M Bergamasco (Padova); P Vaccari (Calvisano), C Stoica (Castres/Fra), M Barbini (Padova), N Mazzucato (Treviso); D Dominguez (Stade Francais), A Troncon (Treviso); S Palmer (Treviso), A Persico (Padova), S Garozzo (Treviso); S Dellape (Treviso), M Bortolami (Padova); F Pucciariello (Bourgoin), A Moretti (Calvisano), G Faliva (Treviso). Replacements used: G Peens (Overmach Parma), L Castrogiovanni (Calvisano), E Pavanello (Treviso), M Parisse (Treviso), C Zanoletti (Calvisano), F Ongaro (Treviso).
ARGENTINA: I Corleto (Stade Francais); G Camardon (Roma), J Orengo (Grenoble), L Arbizu (Bordeaux, capt), DL Albanese (Leeds); F Contepomi (Bristol), A Pichot (Bristol); G Longo (Narbonne), R Martin (San Isidro), S Phelan (CASI); R Alvarez (Perpignan), I Fernandez Lobbe (Castres); O Hasan (Agen), ME Ledesma (Narbonne), R Grau (Liceo de Mendoza). Replacements used: M Reggiardo (Castres), P Sporlender (Curupayti), M Durand (Champagnat), JF Miranda (Deportivo Franciasa), N Fernandez Miranda (Natal Sharks).Sin-binned: Sporlender
Referee: A Cole (Australia)
