Late penalty try for Australia clinches 28-28 draw against Argentina and a 1-0 series win

MENDOZA, Argentina (AP) — A penalty try with 10 minutes remaining allowed Australia to claim a frustrating 28-28 draw with Argentina in the second rugby test Saturday and to seal a 1-0 series win.

Australia had leads in both halves but Argentina captain Pablo Matera scored two tries to allow his team to draw level at halftime, then to go ahead for the first time in the 64th minute.

Argentina held on bravely with only 13 men late in the match to deny the Wallabies their fifth-straight test win and their first series sweep in Argentina, though they claimed their first series win after a 27-21 victory in the first test.

Australia will be frustrated it couldn’t exploit its numerical advantage to achieve a winning score but it couldn’t prise the ball from the Pumas’ forwards at the death.

“It’s difficult to come here and do what we did but just talking to a couple of the lads, we let them off the hook a couple of times,” said Australia head coach Les Kiss who remains unbeaten after four matches in charge.

“We were up two tries to nil in that first half and just gave them field position, gave them opportunity and that brought the crowd back in and brought energy back into their game. It was always going to be a dogfight from then on in.”

Australia scores first

Australia made a poor start when winger Filipo Daugunu dropped the opening kickoff to give Argentina an early attacking opportunity which it weathered.

Argentina won the aerial game early and was increasingly able to take advantage of quick set piece: from the front or off the top of lineups and the second channel ball from scrums.

Australia looked dangerous when it hung on to possession and opened a 14-0 lead after 28 minutes with tries to returning captain Harry Wilson and winger Max Jorgensen.

Wilson scored in the 20th minute after a scrum penalty and strong carries from Rob Valetini, Len Ikitau and Angus Bell.

The Wallabies forwards went to work from a penalty again in the 28th minute and when they won ruck ball on the goal line, Jorgensen darted in from the right wing to take Ryan Lonergan’s pass and score.

Australia saw that 14-0 lead evaporate in the last four minutes before halftime. Matera scored his first try in the 36th minute after calling for a daring scrum from a penalty while both teams had a lock in the sin bin.

Winger Ignacio Mendy leveled the scores with a try right on halftime after a lineout. Argentina went wide first, then Ignacio Moro turned the ball back into Mendy who was in a huge gap.

Australia reclaimed its lead with a try to the industrious Fraser McReight from a tapped penalty in the seventh minute of the second half.

Argentina levels

Argentina began to gain the upper hand and Australia found itself more and more on defense. Hooker Iganacio Ruiz scored the level the score at 21-21 after the Pumas again attacked from a tapped penalty.

Matera’s second try put Argentina ahead for the first time 16 minutes from full time after the Pumas carried the ball for 23 phases.

Argentina lost center Lucio Cinti to the sin bin for a deliberate knock on in the 69th minute, then a minute later lost fullback Santiago Carreras for the same offense which resulted in the penalty try that allowed Australia to level the game.

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