Wallabies hit top gear to see off Pumas
The Wallabies have finished second in The Rugby Championship after a barnstorming second half saw them hammer Argentina 37-20.
Tied 13-all at half-time, the Wallabies found another gear in the second stanza to claim the match five tries to two.
Australia surpassed South Africa in the final round of the Championship after the Boks fell 25-24 in Cape Town to the All Blacks – who claimed the trophy after going through the tournament undefeated.
The Wallabies will face the All Blacks in a fortnight in Brisbane in the final Bledisloe Cup match, and while they can be pleased with their finish in Mendoza, they cannot afford to make the same early errors against New Zealand.
Australia’s defence in the wider channels was suspect and at times the scrum and clean-outs struggled.
Bernard Foley, who had kicked 19 straight goals coming into this match, got a case of the wobbles and missed four in a row before ending the night with five goals from nine attempts.
A brilliant try by Marika Koroibete in the 23rd minute had Australia up by eight points.
But two minutes later Argentina hit back, with towering lock Matias Alemanno reaching out to plant the ball under the posts from close range after numerous phases at the Australian line.
Argentina took the lead for the first time at the half-hour mark with a Nicolas Sanchez penalty.
The lead lasted just four minutes, with Reece Hodge scoring on the right wing.
Another Sanchez penalty had scores even at the break.
A Foley try and conversion gave the Wallabies the lead back but again it didn’t last long as Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias cut back inside and ran through poor defence to score.
Sanchez’s conversion levelled it at 20-all.
Will Genia’s try and Foley’s conversion took the Wallabies into a seven-point lead.
Pumas lock Marcos Kremer was sin-binned for a lifting tackle in the 70th minute and Foley’s ensuing penalty stretched the lead.
After being disllowed a try earlier, Hodge (pictured) did get his second eventually, crossing out wide with two minutes left.