Wallabies foiled by an all-time great, lack of composure and missing whistle

September 6, 2026 — 7:33pm

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One step forward for the Wallabies, one step sideways.

The 28-28 draw in Mendoza will go down as a lost opportunity as the Wallabies enjoyed a two-man advantage for the majority of the final 10 minutes, but a breakdown free-for-all and a couple of handling errors in the rain allowed Argentina to take time off the clock.

The enormous influence of Pumas flanker Pablo Matera also shaped the Test. Matera scored two tries, and then won a crucial breakdown penalty inside the last 10 minutes that allowed 13-man Argentina to kick for touch and spend some crucial minutes inside Wallabies territory.

If you were picking a World Rugby XV loose-forward trio from the past decade, Matera would be firmly in the conversation.

The Wallabies lacked a bit of composure in the final 10 minutes, but will also be wondering why Argentinian breakdown offences that would have been penalised in the first 70 minutes were suddenly deemed legitimate: winger Rodrigo Isgro was clearly lying on his back on the ground as he pawed the ball back in the 77th minute of play.

A draw in Argentina with a much-changed team is no........

© Brisbane Times