Argentina 28-28 Australia: rugby union second Test – as it happened

Key events

And here is Angus Fontaine’s match report:

Thanks for reading and see you next time.

That’ll do from me.

Keep an eye out for the reports and analysis to come.

Strange game. Definitely lots of fun but both sides will know they left a win out there.

Wallabies will at least return home with a series win.

Fraser McReight speaks:

It was a tough battle out there, definitely.

We started really strong and we were lucky right on that half-time break not to concede more points.

You look at that second half and it was quite up and down.

But we’re grateful that we maintained an unbeaten record for the past four weeks.

But there is clearly [a lot to work on] there.

Should have noted that Lonergan was playing at 10 for the final moments of the match.

The fly-half position really is cursed!

History made.

Australia have won a series in Argentina for the first time.

Full-time: Argentina 28-28 Australia

Roger collapses to his haunches and begins to cry after hoofing the ball out! He must have got a call from someone to bring an end to this. They just couldn’t crack the Australia line and were playing with fire on their own 22.

80 min: Argentina are trying to run this from their own 22. But McReight almost makes the steal. No, Roger is nailed by Wilson. Argentina going backwards. A steal could steal this for Australia but they can’t get near the ball to make it.

79 min: A penalty here a the scrum could be enough for the win for Australia. They’ll want to get a big shove on. Argentina are back up to 14 men and seconds away from their full compliment. Long way to go for a score of their own though.

78 min: Australia have two minutes and a two man advantage. Up to the 22 with Canham. Longergan throws an awful pass out the back to Wright and that is lost forward on the edge of the Pumas 22.

77 min: It’s a really messy scrum for Argentina but they just about come away with it. They hoist a high kick that lands for Australia. Can they deliver the winning blow?

76 min: Cale makes the turnover and with two men extra they launch it quick down the left. Canham shovels it on for Wilson who does likewise for Ikitau. It makes its way to Wright who toes ahead. Six gold jerseys are chasing the ball. Lonergan gets there but he loses it as he slides forward inside the Pumas 22. Let off for Argentina. Had the ball been taken cleanly that would have been a try. Scrum to the home side deep in their own patch.

74 min: Another turnover, ~Australia won it back, but Argentina have it again. The breakdown is a proper battle. Argentina have the ball on the edge of Australia’s 22. They’re keeping it very tight.

72 min: Unreal from Matera who makes a steal! How his team needed that. Australia were sloppy off the line-out but they kept it alive. Wright and Jorgensen combined down the right and the men in gold were gathering. That is until Matera got over the ball and made a captain’s steal.

PENALTY TRY! Argentina 28-28 Australia

Plus a yellow card for Carreras! Australia worked this so well off the line-out on the right. Through the hands, strong carries, all the way to the left. They came within a metre and the final pass intended for Daugunu was met by the outstretched hand of Carreras who knew immediately that he’d made a costly error.

In a flash, Argentina are pegged back on the scoreboard and have been reduced to 13 men.

Yellow card! Argentina (Cinti, 69)

69 min: Penalty to Australia after Cinti stuck his hand out and committed a deliberate knock on. McReight was free in the right tram and if that move – sparked by Wilson’s soft touch – found its intended target, it could have ended in a score. Instead Australia get the line-out on the Pumas’ 22.

67 min: Isgro makes a great break following the restart and needs to be ankle tapped. He then launches himself to the skies as he attempts to gather a high kick but can’t haul it down. Australia have a scrum just inside their own half. They need to find a way of turning momentum.

TRY! Argentina 28-21 Australia (Matera, 65)

The skipper bags a brace! Under an advantage, they just kept hammering the line. I felt as if they needed to show a bit more, a skip pass or perhaps hands through the backs. Nope, shows what I know. 23 phases, pretty much all of them one-off runners or picks and goes, ends with Matera slamming the ball down under the poles. The gimme conversion is good. Argentina take the lead for the first time.

63 min: Australia do well to halt the maul and then Wilson hits Ruiz hard to force him backwarrds. But Argentina keep the ball and go right then left. They’re keeping it tight around the fringe. Inching forward. A metre or so short back where the maul was meant to go. Advantage…

61 min: Argentina’s maul makes 15 metres! What a huge rumble. Cruz then spots a half gap down the blind and goes himself. Maybe he should have passed. No matter, it’s still there. Ruiz has a dart from close range but he’s held up! Great defence from Australia!

There’s a late call fro an Aussie entering a ruck from the side so Argentina still have it with a penalty inside the Aussie red zone. Carreras nudges it to the corner. Another maul like the last one and they’ll take the lead.

58 min: That’s a big territory gain for the home side. Out the back of the scrum, they kick to the corner, forcing Wright to do some nifty work to prevent a 50-22 as he hauled the ball back in play. But that meant that things got messy and needed cleaning up. The Aussies got back in time but Lonergan had no choice but to hack a clearing kick away that finds touch well within his own half. So from a scrum on their 22, the Pumas will now throw to the line on Australia’s 10.

57 min: Good work off the top of the line-out from the Aussies, they set up a carry for Valetini around the corner. But he spills in contact. A rare mistake from the great Wallaby. Scrum to Argentina on their own 22.

TRY! Argentina 19-21 Australia (Ruiz, 55)

What a response! That is a consequence of relentless pressure from the forwards. Isgro and Cruz injected some spark in the move, but this was all about the big boys carrying into heavy traffic, sucking in defenders and staying patient. Ruiz, who was hammered by Valetini earlier, shows he’s no slouch by taking on contact and dotting down from close range. The conversion levels things once more.

52 min: Big play from Valetini who wrapped up Valarolo and had help from McReight who held him up. The maul was called and the Wallabies never let the ball come loose. So they’ll have the scrum feed inside their own 22. But it’s a free kick against them! Here come the Pumas with a tap and go.

51 min: Argentina win a penalty on the floor. Valetini’s stiff carry removed Ruiz but then Lonergan delayed his pass to Canham. But the little hesitation meant the lock was isolated and not on the same page as his teammates. The Pumas swoop and steal.

50 min: Daugunu can’t catch a cold tonight but that is a mighty steal over the ball as Argentina were building off the scrum. Daugun left his wing, spotted a small gap and got over the ball to win the penalty.

49 min: Argentina have an opportunity to hit back immediately after Lonergan, from the restart, shanked a clearing kick that smacked a teammate in the head. A knock-on after allows the Pumas to feed the scrum inside the Wallabies 22.

TRY! Argentina 14-21 Australia (McReight, 47)

He burrows over! Like a missile, he picks up off the deck and arrows his body through three tacklers, finding the micro gaps between shoulders and knees to score. Good connection among the Aussie forwards and fast breakdown work the reason why they scored there. Also McReight is literally built like a badger designed for burrowing.

The conversion from Lonergan is good.

46 min: We go back for a penalty. Australia played a lot of footy under an advantage but couldn’t take it. Firs they kept it tight with big forwards then Wilson sparked a move down the line where Jorgensen had a dart for the corner on the right but was hauled down. No matter, they’re back tapping and going within striking distance.

44 min: Australia win a scrum penalty and launch down the left. Donaldson kicks ahead. The cover is there ti sweep across but Australia get a line-out opportunity five out from the left corner.

43 min: Off the scrum, Argentina kick with Roger but Donaldson charges down. Eventually Cruz box kicks. More high than long but the bounce is kind and Isgro runs away with it. Then Roger – who is having a stinler at 10 it must be said - kicks and a wicked bounce takes it dead in goal. So scrum to Australia inside Argentina’s half.

42 min: Daugunu, back on the field, has knocked on again. That’s his third spill think.

Second half!

Donaldson gets us going again.

That really was a half of two halves.

Or rather, a half of three thirds.

The first third was dross. Neither team managed to exert any control and it was, frankly, a tough watch.

Then the Wallabies clicked into gear and scored two neat tries and had another chalked off.

Then the Pumas pack found some rhythm and grunt and began to win the point of contact. They scored a blockbuster and slammed down another from close range.

Both captains scored. They each had a lock sin-binned. So pretty even across the board.

Half-time: Argentina 14-14 Australia

Australia survive. Argentina had the ball out the back of the scrum where Moro picked up and ran hard. He was hauled down a few inches short of the line. Cruz’s pass out the back was a little wayward and a touch floaty and that gave Suaalii the chance to shoot up on defence and disrupt the flow. He knocked on, but it was enough to bring the half to an end.

40+2 min: Argentina win a penalty at the scrum. They can’t do anything with it as the ball becomes a mess at the back. No matter they’ll pack down again. Five out, a 15 metre blind on the left.

40+1 min: Wright escapes a yelow card but he gives away a penalty. Argentina choose to scrum it five out. I really don’t know why that was not a yellow card if he’s giving the penalty. Anyway, the Pumas have a great platform to land a blow before halftime.

40 min: Did Wright punch Cruz? Well he certainly clocked him with his forearm. A kick ahead was fielded by Wright who dotted down for a 22 metre drop out. Cruz ran in to put pressure on him and for some reason the Wallaby fullback lashed out. He’ll see yellow for this for sure.

TRY! Argentina 14-14 Australia (Mendy, 39)

Cut open! Lovely from the Pumas, their first phase strike play off set pieces is very incisive. Off the line-out they set a pod in midfield. Moro carries to the line and then plays a lovely inside ball for Mendy who burst through the space created by the shift to the right. Another slotted conversion from the sniper that is Carreras off the tee levels things.

38 min: Two poor kicks – one from Wright across the pitch and one from Roger from a standing start – means possession changes hands a couple of times. It all ends with Argentina getting a chance to throw to the line on Australia’s 22 after another sliced kick goes their way. What’s up with the kicking today?

TRY! Argentina 7-14 Australia (Matera, 36)

Finally Argentina respond! Their best passage ends in points. A formidable scrum five out eked out a penalty so they hammered the line knowing they could chance their arm. A series of short carries around the corner opened the crack in the wall and Matera burst through from close range right under the poles. The conversion from Carreras couldn’t have been easier.

Yellow card! Australia (Williams, 34)

The big lock joins Molina in the bin! Slowing the ball down in the red zone. At least the refs are consistent.

Argentina choose to scrum with 14 on 14 for another two and a half minutes.

33 min: Roger darts himself but is hauled down. The defence holds until the Pumas 10 unfurls a speculative pass to no one. They come back for the penalty advantage but that’s a good win for the Wallabies defensive set. That could have gone on for another half an hour and I don’t think Argentina would have scored.

32 min: Double digit phase play from the Pumas shortly after the restart. Nothing too fancy, just pick and go, one-up runners. But they have the advantage and are inside Australia’s 22. It’s very narrow and if it’s moving at all it’s going sideways. Matera straightens and makes ground. Five out…

TRY! Argentina 0-14 Australia (Jorgensen, 28)

Very, very good! They’ve found an extra gear in the last few minutes. They hammered the line and kept it tight. Carry after carry sucked ind defenders until Lonergan passed to Tupou who acted as a pivot, passing it on which then exploited the space out to the left. Jorgensen had it but there were three others lining up. No chance he was letting the ball go. He pinned his ears back and found the line. Lonergan’s extra two makes it a comfortable lead for the tourists.

Yellow card! Argentina (Molina, 27)

27 min: Bell is held up over the line after Wilson cam agonisingly close. But there was another Puma slowing the ball down and it;s Molina who is yellow carded.

The Aussies tap and go again.