Argentina has played Australia 32 times since 1979; the Pumas have won six matches, lost 25 times, and drawn once.
Los Pumas’s six wins give them a record of winning 19% of their matches against the Wallabies regardless of venue.
- This weekend’s Tri-Nations Rugby Championship match will be played at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, which is a venue at which the teams have never met before.
- Australia has won 17 of their last 19 Tests against Argentina, including their last two; their last defeat to the Pumas came in September 2018.
- The Wallabies have won 14 of their last 15 Tests against Los Pumas in Australia, including a 16-10 win in their last meeting (27 July 2019).
- Mario Ledesma’s charges have won three of their last four Tests, including their last two on the bounce; the last time they won more in succession was a four-game stretch from September to October in 2015.
- Dave Rennie’s men will play a Test at McDonald Jones Stadium for just the second time, the first time since a 9-6 defeat to Scotland in June 2012.
- Argentina will be hunting for back-to-back wins against fellow Tier 1 opposition in Tests for the first time since defeating Italy and France in consecutive encounters in June 2016.
- Australia has made an average of eight clean breaks per game in the 2020 Tri-Nations, the most of any team and twice as many as Argentina managed throughout their first game of the tournament (4).
- Argentina conceded just four turnovers in their Round 3 win over New Zealand in the 2020 Tri-Nations, fewer than half as many as any other team has in a game so far this tournament.
- Michael Hooper has gained 4.40 metres per carry in the 2020 Tri-Nations, the most of any forward to have made at least 10 carries in this competition.
- Nicolas Sanchez has scored two tries and a total of 40 points across his last two Test appearances; however, he has scored only one try in 13 previous Test caps against Australia.
- James Slipper is set to make his 50th start for Australia; he has also made 51 substitute appearances in Tests thus far, the joint-most of any Wallabies player alongside Tatafu Polota-Nau.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.
The anthems are done, Argentina look pumped up, not too emotional, which could be a worry for Australia.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway at McDonald Jone Stadium, Newcastle.
3.00: Nic White’s mini-break leads to a Wallabies penalty. The home team went eight phases before winning the penalty.
4.00: PENALTY! Reece Hodge, from right in front, opens the scoring. 0-3
5.00: Los Pumas win a penalty after the restart, they will take a shot.
6.00: PENALTY! Nicolas Sanchez levels for Argentina. 3-3
9.00: Australia attack down the touchline, but knock-on before going offside. Nicolas Sanchez kicks to touch.
11.00: Tom Wright takes a high ball, and attacks from deep. Wright slipped two tackles, but Michael Hooper knocked-on at the next ruck.
13.00: The first scrum of the match is – obviously – reset.
14.00: Some good drift-defending by the Wallabies sees them win the loose ball, but Hooper carries into touch. Emiliano Boffelli replaces Juan Imhoff, who limps off.
15.00: NO TRY! Jordan Petaia’s foot is on the line as he looked to dot the ball down before the chalk. Hunter Paisami’s deft left foot grubber opened up the South Americans. 3-3
17.00: Australia do get the penalty, they kick to touch, but the Pumas disrupt Brandon Paenga-Amosa’s throw and win the scrum feed.
19.00: White passes the ball over Wright’s head and into touch, but Australia gets the penalty for a high shot.
20.00: Wallabies kick to the corner.
21.00: Superb defending by Santiago Chocobares after Wright’s chicken-wing offload to Tom Banks; however, the home team yet again concede possession in the ‘red zone’ because of sloppy handling.
22.00: Pablo Matera knocks-on inside his half, giving the Aussies an attacking scrum near the touchline. The Wallabies win a penalty because Francisco Gomez Kodela collapsed the scrum.
24.00: Los Pumas win Australia’s throw as Matias Alemanno gets in front of Matt Philip in the front of the lineout.
25.00: A big scrum by the Aussie pack almost wins a penalty, but Matera scoops the ball to Gonzalo Bertranou to clear.
27.00: Hooper is pinged for coming in from the side of the ruck. Jordan Petaia is causing all manner of problems for the Pumas, he almost snuck through but got brought down at the second attempt.
28.00: Ned Hanigan wins Argentina’s throw to set his side on the counter-attack. Argentina has had to make a lot of tackles because Australia is dominating both territory and possession.
30.00: Taniela Tupou gives away a penalty, Sanchez clears. Argentina has not been inside the Aussies’ 22 yet. It’s all Australia in Newcastle.
31.00: Sanchez cannot grab his chip-kick, but Tupou is offside; the referee warns Hooper for three quick-fire penalties. Matera points to the posts.
32.00: PENALTY! Sanchez splits the uprights to give his side the lead. 6-3
35.00: Australia wins a penalty on the left side of the field after Marcos Kremer is pinged for not releasing. To be fair to Kremer, it looked like Hooper did not release after the tackle. Hodge calls for the tee.
36.00: PENALTY! Hodge draws his kick through the posts from wide left, using the breeze, and the game is tied. 6-6
39.00: Once again, the Wallabies are attacking inside the opposition’s 22 after a handling error. The game is getting messy, and a scuffle breaks out between Tupou and Sanchez after the flyhalf pushed the prop in the face after a ruck. Sanchez tried to kick the ball out of Tupou’s hands at the ruck but missed and connected with the leg.
40.00: Banks kicks the reversed penalty to the corner. That was poor from Sanchez.
41.00: NO TRY! Marika Koroibete scores in the corner, but the pass from Tom Banks was forward. 6-6
42.00: Banks kicks to the corner, the Wallabies win their ball and rumble forward; however, the Wallabies collapse their maul. Jordan Petaia and Tupou both go close before the Pumas give away another penalty.
44.00: Hooper moaning with referee Paul Williams about Argentinian players’ “foul play”, the ref is having none of it. Hodge to kick at goal.
45.00: PENALTY! Hodge gives his side the lead at the half. 6-9
The halftime score was Argentina 6 Australia 9
41.00: PEEEP! We are back underway in Australia.
42.00: Argentina conceded an early penalty allowing Banks to kick to the corner. I cannot see the South Americans getting out of this game without a yellow card or two.
43.00: Pumas forwards win the Wallabies’ lineout, and clear.
44.00: YELLOW CARD! Julian Montoya goes to the bin for another infringement in the red zone. Hodge will take a shot.
45.00: PENALTY! Hodge makes no mistake, extending his side’s lead to six. 6-12
46.00: Pumas win a penalty from the restart after winning a penalty.
48.00: MISS! Sanchez pulls his kick wide of the posts. 6-12
51.00: Australia gives away a penalty, but Argentina cannot hold onto the ball. The mistakes are mounting, the errors killing the Pumas.
54.00: Hodge clears the danger after the Aussies win the penalty.
56.00: PENALTY! Julian Montoya concedes another penalty, which Hodge slots. 6-15
59.00: Both teams starting to empty the benches, the Pumas look tired, the mistakes and all the first-half tackling has not helped.
61.00: A knock-on inside the Wallabies’ half, after a decent attack, lets the Aussies off the hook.
63.00: Big scrum by the Pumas, who manage to win a scrum-penalty for collapsing. Sanchez calls for the tee.
64.00: PENALTY! Sanchez is back on target. 9-15
66.00: Facundo Isa times his hit on Filipo Daugunu, winning his side a kickable penalty from 47 metres out.
68.00: PENALTY! Sanchez does the business. 12-15
70.00: Another ruck-penalty to the South Americans, it’s from 49 metres out.
71.00: PENALTY! Sanchez levels from distance. 15-15
75.00: Wallabies win a scrum after a handling error by the Pumas. Time is running out, the next try wins, maybe the next penalty.
77.00: Argentina gives Australia a chance to win the game from distance. Hodge will definitely have the distance because his boot is massive. Ledesma looks on.
78.00: MISS! Can you believe it! Hodge pushes his kick well wide. 15-15
80.00: Jordan Petaia kicks the ball into the in-goal area when he should have played Marika Koroibete or Filipo Daugunu. That was poor. Argentina running down the clock before the 22m drop-out.
82.00: Argentina counter-attack from deep, but the ball is taken by a gold jersey into touch. Game over!
FULL TIME
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The final score is Argentina 15 (6) Australia 15 (9)
Scorers
Argentina
Tries –
Pen – Sanchez (5)
Con –
Drop –
Cards – Montoya (Yellow, 44′)
Australia
Tries –
Pen – Hodge (5)
Con –
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
Assistant Ref 1: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Ref 2: Angus Gardner (RA)
TMO: Nic Berry (RA)
Teams
Argentina
15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chapparo
Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Santiago Grondona, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Emiliano Boffelli, 23 Santiago Cordero
Australia
15 Tom Banks, 14 Tom Wright, 13 Jordan Petaia, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Reece Hodge, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Michael Hooper (captain), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Matt Philip, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Folau Fainga’a, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Rob Valetini, 20 Liam Wright, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Noah Lolesio, 23 Filipo Daugunu
