Saved by Bell, Australia edge Argentina in Townsville
Angus Bell scored the winning try six minutes after the final hooter as Australia overturned a 14-point halftime deficit to beat Argentina 28-24, in a Rugby Championship thriller in Townsville on Saturday.
The Pumas led 21-7 at the break, after stunning their hosts with tries from Bautista Delguy and Mateo Carreras, along with three penalties from Santi Carreras.
The Wallabies hit back to level the score with a brace of tries from centre Joseph Suaalii, but Pumas fullback Juan Cruz Mallia edged the visitors ahead with a penalty a minute from time.
Australia turned down three chances to even up the score again from the kicking tee and got their reward when replacement prop Bell wrestled his way over the line from close range to give his team a third win in their last four tests.
"Full credit to the team, we could have gone for goal there and taken the draw," said Wallabies captain Harry Wilson.
"It was a tough game, but everyone believed that we could finish the job. And if boys want to win a game, we may as well back them.
"Very proud of the boys, weren't at our best today, but to find a way to get a win against such a high-quality opposition is a real credit to them."
The victory put Australia top of the Rugby Championship standings with nine points ahead of the blockbuster clash between New Zealand (6 points) and South Africa (4) in Auckland later on Saturday.
Argentina, who beat the All Blacks on home soil for the first time in their last outing, have five points after earning a losing bonus point in Townsville.
"It was far from a good performance, in my opinion," said Pumas skipper Julian Montoya.
"Congrats to Australia, they took their opportunities. But I think that in the second half, we gave away a lot of penalties that we can control, like offside, and then we gave them position pretty easy."
TUPOU PENALISED
On a bright, sunny day at North Queensland Stadium, flyhalf Santi Carreras gave the Pumas an early 6-0 lead from the kicking tee after Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou was twice penalised for no-arm tackles.
The home side hit back with the first try of the game in the 23rd minute, when charges from Wilson and lock Nick Frost off an attacking lineout left space for scrumhalf Nic White to go over from close range.
Argentina wrested back the momentum almost immediately, however, with a 15-point scoring blitz in seven minutes that gave them a sizeable lead.
Delguy and Mateo Carreras scored tries from silky backline moves off scrums, before Santi Carreras added his third penalty four minutes before the break.
Australia conceded eight penalties in the first half and knew they had to improve their discipline if they were to fight their way back into the contest.
The Wallabies came out firing after the break and Suaalii cut the deficit to 21-14, with a try from an offload from his centre partner Len Ikitau seven minutes after the restart.
The game opened up with the momentum swinging back and forth but it was now the Pumas who were racking up the penalties and Mateo Carreras paid the price when he was sent to the 'sin bin' for repeated team offences in the 62nd minute.
A minute later and the scores were all square with Suaalii busting through tackles to go over for his second try and replacement flyhalf James O'Connor adding the extras.
