Tri Nations Rugby Series: Tryless 15-all draw for Australia’s Wallabies against Argentina Pumas

Australia lacked ability to string two strong matches together as Argentina proves a rising force in world rugby. | WATCH

Goal kicker Reece Hodge of Australia during the 2020 Tri-Nations match between the Wallabies and the Argentina Pumas at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The Wallabies wasted a nine-point lead with only 17 minutes remaining as Argentina proved themselves for the second successive week a rising force in world rugby, forcing a 15-15 draw in the Tri Nations match at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium.

Having stunned global rugby with their 25-15 victory over the All Blacks at Parramatta last weekend, the Pumas were forced onto the back foot by the Wallabies for the first hour of the match on Saturday night.

But they weathered the storm and indeed the match ended with replacement halfback Jake Gordon gathering in a kick one metre from his own tryline and being forced to dive into touch to save the day.

Certainly the Pumas’ small but noisy band of supporters had every reason to celebrate. Their side had played two of the world’s top six sides on successive Saturdays and not lost to either. And given that the Argentinians outplayed the Wallabies over the final quarter, there should be no more talk about whether the Pumas can sustained the rage and the passion.

Coach Dave Rennie made no attempt to hide his disappointment at the result, which leave Australia, Argentina and New Zealand all tied on six points, with the silverware still very much up for grabs over the next two weeks.

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie looks on during the 2020 Tri Nations match between Australia and the Argentina Pumas. Picture: Getty Images

Still, Australia will rue the many chances it had to win that match, including a 78th-minute kick for goal by Reece Hodge to seal the deal. It drifted right of the posts, in Hodge’s first miss from six attempts. “I feel like I’ve let the country down,” Hodge, who earlier kicked five goals, said later on Fox Sports. “We were up 15-6 and had our chances to seal that game.”

Rennie said: “We have to be more clinical in turning pressure into points. We could have taken a stronghold on the tournament tonight.”

In particular, the Wallabies squandered moment after moment in the first half, which they territorially dominated by 71 per cent. Indeed, it seemed Australia had field position almost the entire half but in the end they led only by 9-6 after having two tries disallowed.

Outside centre Jordan Petaia almost pulled off the impossible, chasing through on a Hunter Paisami grubber to ground the ball just before it rolled over the dead-ball line.

New Zealand referee Paul Williams actually ruled in a try but replays showed that Petaia had just put his foot on the line in the act of grounding the ball.

The second missed try came just a minute before halftime, with fullback Tom Banks sending a forward pass to winger Marika Koroibete after Hodge had worked a neat run-around play on Paisami as the Wallabies attempted to outflank the Pumas.

It was a moment when Banks’ catch-pass skills were put to the test and they let him down. Sadly, that was too often the case, with three first-half lineouts going astray, twice as a result of crooked throws from hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa.

Ill-discipline ended up costing Australia dearly. Penalties were shared 11-11 but given the fact that the Wallabies were controlling the game in large measure – with Pumas hooker Julian Montoya yellow-carded for slowing down the ball at the breakdown in the 43rd minute – it was sheer wastefulness from the men in gold.

Rennie observed that tighthead Taniela Tupou had given away “two or three penalties” in explaining why he was pulled from the game at halftime but, frankly, the Wallabies’ scrum deteriorated badly in the second half.

From the second penalty against the Wallabies, the Pumas’ Nicolas Sanchez stepped up to kick the goal that began the fightback.

Still Rennie continued to ring the changes, however, with winger Tom Wright – one of the Wallabies’ best players – being replaced in the 64th minute by Filipo Daugunu.

The first time he touched the ball, he was penalised for not releasing and up stepped Sanchez again to narrow the gap to only 15-12. And when Koroibete accidentally found himself offside after a bungle between Gordon and reserve loosehead Angus Bell, the Stade Francais flyhalf kicked the levelling penalty.

Australia appears to have lost the ability to string two respectable performances together.

They were outstanding in beating the All Blacks in Brisbane a fortnight ago but they seemed curiously out-of-sorts on Saturday night and immediately followed a piece of brilliance with some lamentable play.

Small wonder Rennie wore such a scowl although the Wallabies coach must take a share of the blame for this one. Australia lost the last quarter 9-0 and it would have to be said that most of the finishers he sent on did a less-than-spectacular job.

By contrast the Pumas were relatively happy, with captain Pablo Matera – again an inspirational figure – likening the game to last weekend’s battle with the All Blacks.

“Similar game … really physical,” he said. “I think Australia played a great game. But we defended very well even if we didn’t create many chances to score.

“We trusted ourselves, we trusted our systems.”

For the second week in a row, Sanchez scored all of his side’s points, his five penalty goals taking him to 40 points already in the tournament in just two games. Hodge also finished with 15 but, for the second time in five matches this season, he has had the chance to kick a late penalty goal to give the Wallabies the win and missed.

Australia’s locks Rob Simmons and Matt Philip both played strongly, as did halfback Nic White, while the entire three-quarter line of centres Paisami and Petaia and wingers Wright and Koroibete had their moments, though sadly Koroibete was allowed none of the space he was afforded against the All Blacks.

Or, perhaps more correctly, he was shut out of the game early by the Pumas with the Wallabies at a loss to get him involved. Finally he took matters into his own hands.

The result now means that the tournament will come down to its final two fixtures, the Pumas against the All Blacks next week at the same Newcastle venue, followed by Australia on December 5 at Parramatta.

Certainly it will become interesting if the winning side next weekend scores a bonus point because Australia is running last on points-for-and-against courtesy of its record 43-5 loss to New Zealand in Sydney.