JOE SCHMIDT’S AUSTRALIA fought back to earn a nail-biting 20-19 away victory over Argentina on Saturday as the Wallabies snapped their eight-match losing streak in The Rugby Championship.
Replacement out-half Ben Donaldson landed the winning penalty with the last play as Australia came from 10-0 down to claim their first championship win since stunning South Africa 25-17 in 2022.
Tries by Wallabies scrum-half Jake Gordon and flanker Rob Valetini cancelled out an early one for Argentina by number eight Juan Martín Gonzalez.
“It honestly feels so good. We stayed in there, that second half was a tough grind,” Wallabies captain Harry Wilson told Sky.
“It was obviously pretty stressful there in the last few minutes, but I just loved how composed we were at the end — going through our pick and drives and just really trying to grind there until we got a penalty.”
After back-to-back home defeats to the Springboks last month, Australia head coach Joe Schmidt was rewarded for blooding fresh talent in his squad.
Western Force centre Hamish Stewart made his debut in Australia’s midfield, the 15th new cap this season for the Wallabies.
“I was bloody nervous going into it, but I can only keep stepping my game up going forward now,” said Stewart. “I’ll take the win and I’ll take my debut and I’ll go and celebrate with the boys.”
Despite Australia shading the territory and possession in the first half at the Estadio Uno, a football stadium in La Plata near Buenos Aires, the Wallabies were 13-7 down at the break.
Out-half Santiago Carreras landed an early penalty and converted a try after Gonzalez touched down, mauled over the line by the Pumas pack as Argentina took an early 10-0 lead.
The Wallabies struck back quickly to stay in the hunt.
Full-back Tom Wright punched a hole in the defence close before Gordon took an inside pass to cross inside the posts for a converted try.
Carreras extended the hosts’ lead with a penalty after the break, but the Wallabies narrowed the scores to 16-14 when Valetini barged over for a try after Australia carved holes in the defence.
The Wallabies took the lead for the first time with 20 minutes left when out-half Noah Lolesio landed a penalty.
Australia had a massive let off when Pumas prop Thomas Gallo picked up from a close-range ruck and charged over, but lost control of the ball as he dived over the line.
Replacement back Tomas Albornoz restored the Pumas lead to 19-17 with ten minutes to go in pouring rain when he stroked a penalty between the posts.
Veteran hooker Agustin Creevy, 39, earned loud applause when Argentina’s most capped player came off the bench in the final stages for his 110th and final appearance for Los Pumas.
When Argentina conceded a penalty in front of the posts, Donaldson — on for Lolesio — held his nerve by landing the winning kick in the 81st minute.
