Argentina beat Australia when these teams last met which was on the Gold Coast.
Australia will be out for revenge this weekend – and to avoid the last place in the Rugby Championship.
Argentina’s victory over the Wallabies was their sixth victory and second in the Rugby Championship.
- Argentina has never won back-to-back games against the Wallabies but now have a chance to do so after they beat the Aussies 23-19 last month.
- Michael Cheika’s side has won five of their last six games against the Pumas in Argentina, averaging 33 points per game.
- Los Pumas’ record at Ernesto Maltearena Stadium is split at three wins and three losses.
- A loss or draw this weekend would see Australia finish The Rugby Championship at the bottom of the table; since The Rugby Championship began in 2012 in its current format, Australia has never finished last.
- Australia has lost their last four away games, scoring more than 12 points just once in that run; they will be out to avoid losing a fifth-straight game away from home for the first time since 2005.
- Mario Ledesma’s team has conceded the most second-half points this tournament (83), however, the Aussies have scored 23 points in this period, the fewest of any team.
- Australia has not lost a scrum in either of their last two games, while Argentina (76%) have the worst scrum success rate this tournament.
- Argentina’s Santiago Medrano has completed 27/27 tackles this tournament, the most of any player yet to miss one.
- David Pocock has won 12 turnovers in The Rugby Championship this year, at least five more than any other player, averaging one every 27 minutes.
- Nicolas Sanchez (61) leads the tournament for most points and has scored nearly three times as many as Matt Toomua (21); only Beauden Barrett and Aphiwe Dyantyi (both 5) have crossed for more tries than the Pumas flyhalf (4).
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway about 1000 metres above sea level in Argentina.
2.00: TRY! Pablo Matera makes Australia pa, slipping a tackle and running away to open the scoring. 5-0
3.00: CONVERSION! Nicolas Sanchez adds the extras. 7-0
5.00: TRY! Emiliano Boffelli takes Sanchez’s pass after intercepting pass and scores under the poles. Wow! 12-0
6.00: Conversion! Sanchez adds another two. What a start! 14-0
7.00: Australia is all at sea in the wide channels. Argentina is all over them.
8.00: Australia loses their lineout, gifting the hosts a scrum.
9.00: Taniela Tupou, first to the ruck wins the penalty. Reece Hodge kicks to the Pumas’ 22.
10.00: Gonzalo Bertranou is caught offsides. Bernard Foley kicks to the corner.
11.00: Agustin Creevy, who looks offsides, wins the penalty. Folau Fainga’a is raging, but the referee was on the wrong side of the ruck. Jaco Peyper got that one wrong.
14.00: Australia has good field position, but it’s Argentina’s ball. Bertranou clears after some pressure.
15.00: TRY! Michael Hooper scores, taking Will Genia’s quick ball and he powers through a defender. It was scrappy from the home team. 14-5
16.00: CONVERSION! Foley halves the deficit. 14-7
18.00: Argentina wins the penalty and Sanchez kicks to the corner.
19.00: Hooper comes in from the side gifting Los Pumas another shot at a driving maul.
19.00: Genia saves the day, tackling his opponent into touch from the hosts’ lineout.
21.00: Ledesma’s side are all over the visitors, but his side keeps making mistakes inside the Wallabies’ territory. Scrum to the visitors.
23.00: Los Pumas have been immense this year, winning against the Springboks and the Wallabies in Australia. They are making a good run into the 2019 World Cup year.
24.00: Australia were rattled in the opening exchanges, but they’ve come alive since Boffelli’s score. However, they need some composure to get back into the Test match.
26.00: The game has settled down after an insane opening quarter of an hour where three converted tries were scored. It’s a pulsating Test in Salta.
27.00: I spoke too soon because Matias Orlando has just scored under the sticks after the Wallabies gave away a penalty. It was some quick ball before the centre barged over. 19-7
28.00: CONVERSION! Sanchez extends the lead. 21-7
29.00: Sanchez is leaving the field to a rousing ovation. Not sure what’s wrong with him.
31.00: TRY! Wow! Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias steps Genia and races away to score under the posts. Boy that was amazing. 26-7
32.00: CONVERSION! Gonzalez Iglesias converts his score and the Pumas are running riot. 28-7
34.00: Oh dear, Foley’s kick rolls over the Argentinian dead-ball line, gifting the home side a scrum just outside the Wallabies’ 22.
37.00: The Aussies are missing too many tackles. They give away another penalty and Gonzalez Iglesias calls for the tee. Australia has missed 19 tackles to Argentina’s three.
38.00: PENALTY! Gonzalez Iglesias extends the lead to four scores. 31-7
39.00: Marcos Kremer is pinged for a late tackle. Foley kicks to the corner because that’s all he can do.
40.00: Beale knocks on, killing the opportunity just before the break. It’s been the story of the competition for the Aussies.
41.00: Australia tries to get a last minute score but Hooper passes behind Israel Folau and into to touch, killing the move.
The halftime score was Argentina 31 Australia 7
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Salta.
42.00: Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has replaced the entire Australian front row. That’s a statement.
44.00: TRY! Izack Rodda takes Hooper’s pass after the Aussie skipper collected the lock’s charge-down of Bertranou at the ruck. 31-12
45.00: CONVERSION! Foley adds another two. There’s still, lots of work to do to get back into this game for the visitors. 31-14
47.00: Australia is building some pressure after the break; they need another score, soon.
48.00: TRY! Folau scores after the Wallabies go 11 phases and the two-time World Champions are back in the contest. 31-19
49.00: CONVERSION! Foley reduces the deficit to 10. 31-21
50.00: What a Test!
51.00: TRY! Dane Haylett-Petty scores after another long sustained period of pressure, this time it was nine phases before the fullback crosses for the Wallabies’ third try since the interval. Game on! 31-26
53.00: CONVERSION! Foley slots the sideline kick. 31-28
55.00: Argentina are all at sea; their massive lead is whittled down to three and they are looking tired because the Aussies are running rampant in Salta. Cheika’s halftime team-talk must have been Churchillian.
56.00: Australia wins a free-kick and opts for a scrum. Big call.
59.00: Los Pumas settling things down after the Wallabies blitz.
60.00: The South Americans win a penalty and Creevy opts for a shot at goal.
61.00: PENALTY! Gonzalez Iglesias makes no mistake from distance and he extends his side’s precarious lead to six. 34-28
64.00: TRY! David Pocock scores after picking up the deliberate knock-down and crashes over to make it a one-point game. 34-33
65.00: CONVERSION! Foley puts his side in front. 34-35
66.00: TRY! Haylett-Petty dots down in the corner, but it looks like a forward pass was missed by the officials. Typical from the most inept officials in sport. 34-40
67.00: CONVERSION! Foley makes no mistake. 34-42
70.00: Time is running out for the home team, who looks dejected after throwing away this game.
73.00: Santiago Medrano is caught offsides which gives the Aussies an 11-point lead with less than six minutes remaining.
75.00: PENALTY! Foley puts the game to bed. 34-45
77.00: YELLOW CARD! Silatolu Latu is sent to the bin for an elbow.
78.00: Australia have a scrum inside their 22; if they clear with no dramas, they win.
79.00: Matt Toomua clears.
80.00: Foley kicks the ball out into touch deep in Argentina’s half. The Pumas throw in skew and Australia opt for a scrum.
82.00: Foley kicks into the stands.
Game over.
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The final score is Argentina 34 (31) Australia 45 (7)
Scorers
Argentina
Tries – Matera, Boffelli, Orlando, Gonzalez Iglesias
Pen – Gonzalez Iglesias
Con – Sanchez (3), Gonzalez Iglesias (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Australia
Tries – Hooper, Rodda, Folau, D. Haylett-Petty (2), Pocock,
Pen – Foley
Con – Foley (6)
Drop –
Cards – Latu (Yellow, 77′)
Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
Assistant Ref: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
Assistant Ref 2: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
TMO: David Grashoff (RFU)
Teams
Argentina
15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy (captain), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere.
Australia
15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Israel Folau, 13 Reece Hodge, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper (captain), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Caleb Timu, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Matt Toomua, 23 Tom Banks.