Australia has been in some good form since their back-to-back losses to New Zealand, but two wins against South Africa and one versus Argentina has seen them jump to second on The Rugby Championship table with one Test to play.
Australia has lost only one of their last 12 Tests against Argentina (W9, D2), a 23-19 defeat in September 2018; this despite the Wallabies leading at halftime only three times in their last eight meetings.
- Australia has lost only one of their last 12 Tests against Argentina (W9, D2), a 23-19 defeat in September 2018; this despite the Wallabies leading at halftime only three times in their last eight meetings.
- The Wallabies have won their last three Tests in succession in The Rugby Championship, their joint- longest winning run in the competition (incl. Tri-Nations).
- The Aussies will be aiming for four consecutive victories for the first time in the tournament.
- Argentina has made the most tackles (144.2) and won the most turnovers (6.2) per game of any team in the competition.
- Australia has conceded five offloads per game in TRC this year, the fewest of any team and two per game fewer than Argentina (7).
- Samu Kerevi has made more carries (60), offloads (8), and beaten more defenders (19) than any other player in the tournament.
- The Pumas have lost six players ahead of the Gold Coast clash after they were locked out of Queensland following a day trip to Byron Bay.
- Mario Ledesma’s beleaguered charges are winless in the tournament but never played at home.
- Los Pumas have not scored a try in any of the five first halves of TRC Test matches, and their highest total is 13 points.
Match detail
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1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Australia for the last round of the 2021 Rugby Championship.
3.00: MISS! Emiliano Boffelli takes his time before pulling his first kick wide of the right hand upright. 0-0
5.00: Australia is going wide early, and looking to offload at every opportunity. Quade Cooper calls for the tee after Australia won a penalty.
6.00: MISS! Cooper also pulls his first kick, his worst attempt since being brought back into the team. 0-0
8.00: A sustained attack near the Argentina 22 ends when Taniela Tupou knocks on a flat pass from Nic White.
10.00: PENALTY! The Wallabies pack wins a scrum penalty on Los Pumas’ feed, Cooper makes no mistake from in front. 0-3
13.00: A wayward throw by Folau Fainga’a allows Julian Montoya a shot at setting up a driving maul; however, the Wallabies win the Pumas throw and clear their lines.
16.00: Australia has not started too well, they have made handling errors, lost a lineout, kicked directly into touch, missed a regulation goal, and Reece Hodge dotted down a grubber that was going out over the dead-ball line. Very poor.
17.00: MISS! Santiago Carreras’ drop kick is wide. 0-3
19.00: Tupou throws a pass into touch. Wallabies win the opposition’s throw, but cannot get over the gain line. Ledesma’s men are solid in defence.
21.00: Argentina wins a relieving penalty at the breakdown.
27.00: YELLOW CARD! Tomas Lavanini is off for taking out Izack Rodda. Argentina giving away multiple penalties, but Australia’s mistakes have been costly. 0-3
27.00: TRY! Finally! Folau Fainga’a crashes over the chalk after breaking off the driving maul for his second Test five-pointer. 0-8
29.00: MISS! Cooper again pulls a kick. 0-8
31.00: More errors from the Pumas kills an attack near the Aussies’ 22.
33.00: Another big scrum by the Wallabies sets up a counter-attack from deep inside the Wallabies half. Hodge kicks the penalty deep into the opposition’s half.
34.00: TRY! A magnificent lineout move off the back of the set-piece sees Andrew Kellaway score his fifth try of The Rugby Championship. Fainga’a wrapped around the back of the ruck, stood Julian Motoya up before putting Rob Valetini through a big gap. Valetini charged forward, drew Matias Moroni, and put the 25-year-old winger away for his sixth Test try. 0-13
35.00: CONVERSION! Cooper adds the extras. 0-15
36.00: Hodge is pinged for a late challenge, so Jaco Peyper reverses the penalty. Santiago Carreras boots to the corner.
37.00: Lavanini returns, but his yellow card costs 12 points. Argentina wins another penalty to the corner.
39.00: Australia is leaking too many penalties in the Red Zone.
41.00: Michael Hooper gets a warning from referee Jaco Peyper, the next infringement is a card. Boffelli will take a shot.
42.00: PENALTY! Boffelli makes sure his team is on the scoreboard. 3-15
The halftime score was Los Pumas 3 Wallabies 15
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway on Gold Coast, Queensland.
43.00: TRY! Samu Kerevi strikes early in the second half after Cooper’s double-pump opened the space for the centre. Cooper wrapped around Len Ikitau following a sustained attack inside the opposition’s 22. Cooper sucked in Boffelli before sending Kerevi through the hole to score his eighth Test try. 3-20
45.00: MISS! Cooper, kicking at less than 50%, pushes his kick wide. 3-20
48.00: It’s all Wallabies at the moment, they are increasing the tempo, which will be brutal for Argentina as they begin to tire.
51.00: Hodge moves to the outside centre after Kerevi leaves the field. Tom Wright goes to left-wing, and Kellaway to fullback.
54.00: TRY! Kellaway has a brace. Australia sent the ball wide to Cooper, who played Valetini in the wide channel. Valetini drew Santiago Chocobares before playing Kellaway, who cut inside Moroni and slipped Chocobares’ weak tackle to score his seventh Test try. What a player! 3-25
55.00: CONVERSION! Cooper makes no mistake. 3-27
58.00: TRY! Andrew Kellaway has a hat trick! Another superb lineout move involving Fainga’a from the back sees Cooper’s long pass cut out three defenders. Ikitau drifted wide, sucked in Juan Cruz Mallia and Matias Moroni before a chicken-wing pass sent the 25-year-old winger away for his treble. 3-32
60.00: MISS! Cooper’s kick is wide. 3-32
63.00: TRY! Thomas Gallo crashes over from close range. 8-32
64.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 10-32
67.00: Lots of changes have increased mistakes as both teams look to play expansive rugby in the Test of the tournament.
70.00: Both teams are tiring, but Australia looks to have a bit extra in the tank.
72.00: TRY! Gallo bags a brace from close range. 15-32
73.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 17-32
78.00: The game is falling apart.
81.00: YELLOW CARD! Hooper is off. 17-32
83.00: Australia win the turnover: game over!
FULL TIME
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The final score is Argentina 17 (3) Australia 32 (15)
Scorers
Argentina
Tries – Gallo (2)
Pen – Boffelli
Con – Boffelli (2)
Drop –
Cards – Lavanini (Yellow, 27′)
Australia
Tries – Fainga’a, Kellaway (3), Kerevi
Pen – Cooper
Con – Cooper (2)
Drop –
Cards – Hooper (Yellow, 81′)
Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper (RSA)
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry (AUS)
Assistant Ref 2: Reuben Keane (AUS)
TMO: Brett Cronan (AUS)
Teams
Argentina
15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Enrique Pieretto, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Rodrigo Martinez
Replacements: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Francisco Gorrissen, 21 Gonzalo Garcia, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Mateo Carreras
Australia
15 Reece Hodge, 14 Jordan Petaia, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Andrew Kellaway, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nic White, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Michael Hooper (captain), 6 Pete Samu, 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Lachlan Lonergan, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Matt Philip, 20 Sean McMahon, 21 Jack Gordon, 22 James O’Connor, 23 Tom Wright
