The Wallabies pulled off a wet and wild 20-19 comeback win over Argentina to revive the new team’s Rugby Championship campaign.
It took a late penalty from substitute Ben Donaldson to secure victory and snap an eight-game losing streak in the Rugby Championship.
Australia trailed 10-0 and 16-7 at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium in La Plata, south of Buenos Aires on Sunday (AEST), but found a way in the pouring rain to improve to 1-2 in the four-team tournament.
Centre Len Ikitau was a bright spark in attack despite the conditions, scrum-half Jake Gordon impressed, props Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou and loose forwards Carlo Tizzano, Rob Valetini and debutant captain Harry Wilson were influential.
Centre Hamish Stewart, the Wallabies’ 15th debutant this year, was also rock solid.
“I’m very proud; we made things difficult for ourselves by giving them a great start at home, in front of a big crowd and in tough conditions,” said coach Joe Schmidt.
‘We put ourselves under pressure again by missing restarts, but we fought back… we scored tries and created other chances that would have been great.’
The teams will meet again in seven days, in what is expected to be a better climate in Santa Fe.
Australia’s Jake Gordon scores a try in Wallabies’ tense win over Argentina
The Wallabies celebrate after defeating Argentina’s Los Pumas in the Rugby Championship
“We hope this gives us a little springboard, but in very different conditions we will play against a different Pumas team,” said Schmidt.
‘At the highest level the margins are narrow and things can change very quickly.’
The Wallabies had scored just one try in two heavy defeats to South Africa to start the series and their attacking firepower was again lacking from the start, unable to score despite making just five tackles to the hosts’ 75 in the opening 15 minutes.
They had the ball for 27 phases in the opening minutes, wary of playing too expansively in the pouring rain.
But they only fell back, Noah Lolesio’s grubber shot in the five-eighth was easily called and Argentina gained territory and opened the scoring with a penalty.
The Pumas then advanced again up the field and Juan Martín González scored from a maul that gave them a 10-0 lead.
Ikitau was the spark that powered the visitors forward, breaking off the line after a strong run from Valetini and passing the ball to Tom Wright.
The defender then passed to Gordon, who collected the ball between his boot laces and scored under the posts.
Lolesio’s missed penalty at half-time left the visitors trailing 13-7.
Los Pumas flanker Marcos Kremer is tackled by Australia Wallabies flanker Rob Valetini and hooker Matt Faessler.
Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano is tackled by Argentina’s Pumas flanker Marcos Kremer
Australia defended strongly after the restart but lost a scrum against the pass and the hosts moved nine points ahead.
Wilson later regretted his decision to attack the blindside following a five-metre scrum when he was pushed into touch.
But once again Ikitau did something, beating two players before Valetini scored a vital try to make it a two-point game with 30 minutes left.
Ten minutes later, Lolesio’s penalty put Australia 17-16 ahead but the No.10 put his side under pressure, going from a return kick himself to then throwing a wobbly pass to an isolated Nick Frost that led to a turnover and a penalty.
Argentina went back into the lead by two points with 10 minutes remaining and missed the chance to seal the result when Gonzalez lost the ball while diving to score.
Lolesio then found space after Argentina had gone ahead, but newly-signed winger Max Jorgensen misplaced the pass as he made his way down the right flank.
However, Australia continued to press the Argentine line in midfield until winning a penalty with one minute remaining.
Substitute Donaldson, with his first touch, used the remaining seconds to prepare his shot before scoring the winner as the final whistle sounded.