Welsh tourists welcomed 'like heroes'

Duncan Jones meets the locals

Wales captain Duncan Jones has expressed his delight with the welcome given to the squad in Argentina ahead of Sunday's encounter with the Pumas in Puerto Madryn, Patagonia.

The party arrived in Trelew, capital city of Chubut province, and were greeted by the Mayor, Cesar Gustavo MacKarthy, who presented the tourists with a plaque to commemorate the occasion.

"I'm surprised - this is an experience I never expected," Jones admitted.

"I couldn't believe it seeing so many Argentinians welcoming us like heroes for coming to this city."

The Pumas have never played a Test in the deep south of Argentina and the decision to face Wales in Chubut province is of great significance - Puerto Madryn was founded by Welsh settlers in 1865 and a Welsh community still survives there.

Thousands of Welsh people left their homeland in search of a brighter future in South America in the 19th century and set forth with the aim of setting up Welsh-speaking colonies away from the influence of England.

Puerto Madryn - named in honour of Sir Love Jones-Parry, the Baron of Madryn, the founding father of the Welsh immigrants - lies on land which was granted to the Welsh settlers in a coordinated attempt by the Argentine government and the National Assembly of Wales to promote and maintain the area's Welsh heritage and identity.

And what better way to do that then through rugby?

But whilst egg-chasing reigns supreme in Patagonia - literally 'land of the big feet' - the rest of the country is currently caught under the spell of another sport.

The Chubut match was originally scheduled for the Saturday but was hastily postponed after organisers realised it would clash with Argentina's meeting with the Ivory Coast at the FIFA World Cup in Germany.