Wallabies fight back to secure bonus point victory

AUSTRALIA fought back to claim a big win as they comfortably saw off Michael Cheika’s Argentina with a dominnant second-half display.

Quade Cooper returned from the ankle injury that ruled him out of the England series but the 35-year-old failed to shine and was withdrawn with a sprained ankle in the second half.

Australia were missing their talisman Michael Hooper, who flew back to Australia for personal reasons, and centre Samu Kerevi was ruled out with a torn ACL suffered at the Commonwealth Games.

Argentina made the better start as No.8 Pablo Matera went over untouched for the opening try. Australia hit back with a Cooper penalty but straight off the restart the Wallabies were penalised for a tackle off the ball and the deadeye winger Emiliano Boffelli regained Argentina’s seven-point lead.

The kicking dual continued as Boffelli slotted his second penalty but shortly after, Jordan Petaia crossed for the Wallabies opening try after slicing through the Argentina defence.

Boffelli knocked over another penalty as the game endured a stop start tempo with both sides suffering high early penalty counts.

Ill-discipline continued to be the Wallabies’ downfall as on the stroke of half-time they conceded their 10th penalty and Edinburgh’s Boffelli punished them with another three-pointer from 40 metres out.

The Wallabies made a bright start to the second half and were rewarded with Fraser

McReight going over off a driving maul. But moments later home supporters inside the sold-out Malvinas stadium were on their feet to celebrate a brilliant counter-attack try.

Juan Cruz Mallia made an emphatic break and fed Matera who utilised a two on one overlap to put London Irish flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez in at the corner. The Wallabies hit back with a penalty try as Matias Alemanno was deemed to have collapsed a maul destined for the line and was sent to the sin bin.

In the closing 20 minutes it was Argentina who capitulated due to ill-discipline with Australia taking the lead for the first time with a Reece Hodge penalty before late tries from Folau Fainga’a and Len Ikitau.