Argentina ended Wales’ World Cup journey following an enthralling quarter-final in Marseille.

Tomos Williams restored Wales’ lead with a brilliant effort before two late tries from Joel Sclavi and Nicolas Sanchez sealed the win.

The Pumas face New Zealand in the semi-final in Stade de France in Paris next Friday.

Wales’ defeat swung on a controversial decision by English referee Karl Dickson who had replaced Jaco Peyper early on in the game after the South African official suffered a calf injury.

Wales were leading 17-12 when Argentina lock Guido Petti’s shoulder caught the head of Wales centre Nick Tompkins at a ruck.

Dickson decided Petti’s action was legal and gave no sanction and Pumas prop Sclavi went on to score to give Argentina a 19-17 lead.

Tompkins was forced to go off to have a head injury assessment (HIA) which meant a limping Dan Biggar had to move to centre with fly-half Sam Costelow coming on.

With Wales chasing the game, Sanchez intercepted a Costelow pass to sprint away to score and added a late penalty to rub salt in the wounds and send Warren Gatland’s side home.

Wales wing Josh Adams escaped without a yellow card in the first half for a shoulder charge.

Wales had a late chance to clinch victory, but following a Rio Dyer break, Louis Rees-Zammit was denied in the corner by a brilliant Matias Moroni tackle.

It was a chaotic game with the numbers of Wales’ players peeling off their shirts in the first half and they have now fallen out of the tournament.

The Pumas were ecstatic and deserved victory as they sealed a second World Cup semi-final in France to follow up their achievements in 2007.

Argentina finished as runners-up in their pool in this tournament after losing the opening game against England, but have won four successive games to continue their participation under Michael Cheika.

Wales dream is over

It is a sad end to Wales’ World Cup journey after they had qualified for the quarter-finals as pool winners.

It was a fourth successive tournament in the last eight for Wales under Gatland, but it was not to prove a third semi-final appearance.

Gatland had returned for a second stint in December 2022 when he replaced Wayne Pivac and had a poor Six Nations with only one win in five games.

The New Zealander insisted before the tournament Wales would surprise people and do something special at this World Cup.

They exceeded expectations by winning the pool with victories against Fiji, Portugal, Australia and Georgia, but Wales and Gatland will see this as an opportunity missed.

It was also the final appearance for Wales fly-half Biggar, who will retire from international rugby after the tournament.

Biggar and Liam Williams bravely gave it their all after recovering from injuries, but could not stop the defeat by the Pumas.

Missing men

Both sides were missing key back-row influences with Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau and Argentina flanker Pablo Matera ruled out of the tournament through injury.

Faletau’s absence forced Wales into a back-row reshuffle with Aaron Wainwright switching from blind-side flanker to number eight with captain Jac Morgan wearing the number six shirt and Leicester open-side Tommy Reffell coming in.

The game started at a furious pace with Adams releasing Rees-Zammit for an early gallop before Argentina responded with a burst from full-back Juan Cruz Mallia.

It took a crucial defensive intervention from Wales full-back Williams on Mallia later in the move, but Boffelli missed the penalty that had earlier been conceded.

Wales’ shirt numbers were falling off to confuse matters and typify the frantic opening exchanges.

Some order and class was restored with a slick Welsh move that was started and finished by Biggar.

He released centre George North, who had become the first Wales player to feature in four World Cup quarter-finals.

North was hauled down before he released the numberless number nine Gareth Davies, who found the supporting Biggar to score the converted try.

The surreal scenes returned when Peyper was forced off the field because of a calf injury and replaced by Dickson.

Biggar added a penalty with Wales playing far more expansive rugby, especially off first phase, than in recent games, but they could not finish off the chances they created.

North again broke through the Pumas defence, but Wales spurned a try-scoring opportunity when his final pass was fired inside to Adams who could not hold on to possession.

More points went begging when Biggar missed a penalty attempt after flankers Morgan and Reffell had combined to turn over Argentina.

Wales’ quest to extend their lead was not helped by a malfunctioning line-out, while flanker Reffell was not penalised for appearing to take out Pumas wing Mateo Carreras in the air.

Pumas wrest back control

Argentina responded with a Boffelli penalty before a melee ensued under the Wales posts between both sides.

It was started by a needless shoulder charge from Adams on Cubelli and the Wales wing avoided a yellow card. Boffelli slotted over the penalty to reduce the deficit to 10-6 at half-time.

Wales players returned in the second half with a new set of shirts while hooker Ryan Elias was replaced by squad co-captain Dewi Lake.

Boffelli added two more penalties, including a huge effort from inside his own half to give Argentina the lead for the first time.

The momentum had swung and the control Wales had shown during occasions of the first half was replaced by a element of chaos in their play as the Argentina fans ensured a deafening sound in the Marseille stadium.

The clinical nature Wales had demonstrated during the tournament returned when replacement scrum-half Williams produced a brilliant individual effort with a dummy and sprint away to score.

Liam Williams had played another unsung role in the try after regathering a loose ball before being crunched again by the Argentina defence.

It proved one hit too many and he was forced off the field with Rees-Zammit switching to full-back and Dyer coming on the wing.

Frantic finale

Rees-Zammit’s first contribution in his new position was a long, loose kick that gave Argentina an attacking opportunity.

From the resulting ruck Argentina lock Petti’s shoulder made contact with Tompkins’ head, but Dickson ruled it was not foul play.

Tompkins was forced off the field to have an HIA and initially replaced by Costelow.

It was a crucial decision as replacement prop Sclavi was driven over and Boffelli converted to give Argentina the lead.

Wales reshuffled the backline with Biggar slotting into centre and Dyer responded with a brilliant break before releasing Rees-Zammit, who was denied in the corner by Moroni.

Tompkins returned after passing his HIA, but as Wales chased the game, their hearts were broken when Costelow’s pass was intercepted by Sanchez, who sprinted away to score.

A conversion from Boffelli gave him a 16-point haul while Sanchez kicked the winning penalty to send the Argentina supporters wild and devastate Wales’ fans.

Line-ups

Wales: L Williams; Rees-Zammit, North, Tompkins, Adams; Biggar, G Davies; G Thomas, Elias, Francis, Rowlands, Beard, Morgan (capt), Reffell, Wainwright.

Replacements: Lake, Domachowski, D Lewis, D Jenkins, Tshiunza, T Williams, Costelow, Dyer.

Argentina: Mallia; Boffelli, Cinti, Chocobares, M Carreras; S Carreras, Cubelli; Gallo, Montoya (capt), Gomez Kodela, Petti, Lavanini, Gonzalez, Kremer, Isa.

Replacements: Creevy, Sclavi, Bello, Alemanno, Bruni, Bazan Velez, Sanchez, Moroni.

Match officials

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)

Touch judges: Karl Dickson (Eng) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)

TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa).