Australia wins series in Argentina for the first time after dramatic 28:28 draw against 13 players
Australia has won a Test-match series on Argentine soil for the first time in history, but the Wallabies' historic achievement in Mendoza came with a strong sense of a missed opportunity. Argentina and Australia drew 28:28 on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the Malvinas Argentinas Stadium, in the second and final match of the two-Test series. Since the Australians had won 27:21 a week earlier in San Salvador de Jujuy, the series ended 1:0 in favor of the visitors. According to Rugby Australia and Australian public broadcaster ABC, the Wallabies had never previously won a series consisting of multiple Tests in Argentina. The draw nevertheless left an unusual final impression because the Pumas spent roughly the last ten minutes with two players fewer, following consecutive yellow cards for Lucio Cinti and Santiago Carreras.
At the same time, the match showed why the 28:28 result cannot be reduced simply to an Australian failure with a numerical advantage. Argentina came back from a deficit twice, from 0:14 in the first half to 14:14 at halftime, and then took the lead for the first time in the second half at 28:21. Captain Pablo Matera led the hosts with two tries, while Ignacio Mendy and Ignacio Ruiz scored Argentina's other two tries. For Australia, captain Harry Wilson, Max Jorgensen and Fraser McReight scored tries, while the fourth was recorded as a penalty try following Carreras's infringement late in the match. Carreras converted all four Argentine tries, while Ryan Lonergan was accurate after all three Australian tries before the penalty try, which under the rules is automatically worth seven points.
Australia took a 14:0 lead, Argentina responded before halftime
According to the official report of the Argentine Rugby Union, UAR, the Pumas opened the match by applying pressure through the scrum, but the Australian defense survived the initial surge. The Wallabies then gradually gained territory and, in the 15th minute, already thought they had scored the first try, but the move was disallowed after a review of an earlier situation near the touchline. Four minutes later Wilson broke through the Argentine defense from close range and put Australia ahead, while Lonergan's conversion made it 7:0. A series of Argentine infringements inside their own 22 meters then brought Franco Molina a yellow card, which the visitors quickly exploited. Taniela Tupou took part in the move from which Jorgensen finished the attack for Australia's second try and a 14:0 lead.
At that point it appeared Australia might break the game open as early as the first half, but the balance of power changed quickly. Jeremy Williams received a yellow card on the Australian side, once again equalizing the number of players on the field, and Argentina increased the pressure. Matera finished an attack in the 35th minute after a dominant phase by the Pumas' pack and reduced the deficit to 14:7. Just a few minutes later, after a well-executed line-out, Joaquín Moro created space for Mendy, who broke through the line and scored Argentina's second try. Carreras also converted the second try, so the teams went into halftime at 14:14, even though Australia had controlled the score for much of the first half.
That ending to the first 40 minutes established the pattern for the entire match: whenever one team looked as though it was taking firm control, the other responded. Rugby Australia states that the hosts drew level after a period in which the Wallabies had several opportunities to extend their advantage further, and those missed chances would become one of the main themes of Australian analysis after the match. For Argentina, coming back from 0:14 carried additional weight because this was the Pumas' final appearance in front of their home crowd in 2026. UAR also recorded that Facundo Cardozo and Mateo Soler made their senior international debuts in this match. Mendoza therefore witnessed a game in which experience, discipline and management of key moments were just as important as attacking quality itself.
Matera scored twice, Pumas took the lead for the first time in the 64th minute
Australia again made the first move at the start of the second half. McReight, in the 47th minute, managed to carry the ball over the line after pressure near the Argentine try line, and Lonergan's third successful conversion restored the Wallabies' seven-point advantage. Argentina responded eight minutes later through hooker Ignacio Ruiz, who finished a close-range move for 21:21. What followed was one of the Pumas' best periods of the match, with pressure after a line-out and maul and a long sequence of phases in front of the Australian line. According to Rugby Australia, Matera's second try came after 23 attacking phases, and Carreras's fourth conversion gave the hosts their first lead of the evening, 28:21, in the 64th minute.
Matera thus assumed the central role in Argentina's comeback. As captain and one of the team's most experienced players, he finished two crucial moves and gave the Pumas a scoreboard advantage as the game entered its final quarter. Australia's problem was familiar from the first half: the team would establish an advantage and then allow its opponent back into the game through a series of errors, lost possessions or penalties. Coach Les Kiss admitted after the match, according to Sky Sports, that his players had taken control during several periods and put themselves in a good position to win, but had failed to finish the job. Despite that, he stressed that winning the series had been one of the main objectives of the tour and that the achievement should not be diminished.
Two yellow cards in two minutes changed the finish
The most dramatic moment arrived around ten minutes before the end. UAR states that Lucio Cinti received a yellow card in the 68th minute after attempting to play the ball from an illegal position, leaving Argentina with 14 players. In the very next minute the Wallabies attacked again, and Santiago Carreras deliberately stopped a pass with his hand in a situation in which the Australian attack had an open path toward a try. New Zealand referee James Doleman awarded Australia a penalty try and showed Carreras a yellow card. The score was automatically levelled at 28:28, and the Pumas had to enter the closing stages with only 13 players.
On paper, Australia then had almost ideal conditions for a winning finish: two extra players, a level score and a team that was already securing the series even with a draw. However, the Wallabies failed to turn their numerical advantage into another try or a penalty kick for the lead. The hosts slowed the game, retained possession whenever they could and defended the space without unnecessarily spreading their defensive line. Australia captain Harry Wilson later told Sky Sports that Argentina had adapted its game very well during the final ten minutes to the conditions on the field and to the fact that it was down two players. His assessment was that the draw was disappointing after a run of victories, but that the trophy and an unbeaten tour nevertheless gave the team momentum for the challenges ahead.
Australia also faced an organizational problem in the final minutes after Carter Gordon left the field, having, according to Rugby Australia, suffered a leg injury. In an unusual distribution of roles, Lonergan had to take over some of the playmaking duties while Argentina tried to run down the remaining time. The visitors managed to gain possession and territory, but not the decisive points. After time had expired, the Pumas still tried to advance with the ball, and when it became clear there was no realistic opportunity for a match-winning attack, the contest ended without any further change to the score. According to Rugby Australia, it was the fourth draw in the history of meetings between the two national teams.
Historic series for the Wallabies, but without the desired "clean sweep"
The result in Mendoza meant that Australia's first triumph in a multi-Test series in Argentina would not be remembered as a perfect 2:0 victory, but as a combination of a win and a draw. In the first match, played on August 29 at the 23 de Agosto Stadium in San Salvador de Jujuy, Australia won 27:21. According to Rugby Australia's official report, the visitors built an early advantage through tries by Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Carter Gordon and Fraser McReight, while Tom Hooper scored a try in the second half that proved decisive. Argentina closed to within one point in the second half, but the Wallabies survived the late pressure and secured the series advantage before traveling to Mendoza. That result allowed Australia to secure the overall victory with a draw in the second Test.
The historic nature of the achievement is also confirmed by Australian sources, which state that before this tour the Wallabies had never won a multi-Test series on Argentine soil. That does not mean Australia had not previously won in Argentina: it had won individual Tests there several times, including matches in Mendoza. Before this year's match, UAR stated that the Pumas and Wallabies had met four times in that city before 2026. Argentina won 21:17 in 2014, while Australia prevailed 34:9 in 2015, 37:20 in 2017 and 41:26 in 2022. The 2026 draw therefore became the fifth Test between the sides in Mendoza and the first there not to produce a winner.
For Australia, the series is also important because of the start of Les Kiss's tenure. ABC states that after the draw in Mendoza his record in charge of the Wallabies remained unbeaten, with three wins and one draw since succeeding Joe Schmidt. Before the tour of Argentina, Kiss's team had beaten Japan twice, before then winning in Jujuy. The draw ended Australia's run of four consecutive Test victories, but did not end its unbeaten period under the new coach. For a team trying to build stability after several turbulent seasons, winning an away series represents a result with clear symbolic significance, even if the performance in Mendoza was not complete.
Argentina avoided defeat and showed resilience with a rejuvenated team
From the Argentine perspective, the 28:28 result brings a mixture of frustration and encouragement. The Pumas failed to level the series, despite leading 28:21 in the second half and having the opportunity to end the home portion of their season with a victory. On the other hand, the way they survived the final ten or so minutes with 13 players turned the closing stages into an example of defensive discipline and time management under extreme pressure. In its report, UAR particularly highlighted the team's response after being reduced by two players, while Matera's two-try performance symbolized Argentina's comeback from the early deficit. The match was also an important developmental moment for Felipe Contepomi's squad, with two debutants and a number of players who are still building continuity at the highest international level.
Discipline will nevertheless remain an obvious topic of analysis. Argentina received three yellow cards during the match: Molina in the first half, and Cinti and Carreras in the closing stages. The final two infringements were particularly costly because they occurred virtually one after another and directly brought Australia back level through the penalty try. At the same time, the Wallabies were also reduced to 14 players during the first half after Williams's yellow card, and it was precisely during that period that Argentina managed to equalize. The match therefore offered a very clear example of how a ten-minute suspension at international level can change the rhythm, balance of power and selection of tactical decisions.
Different challenges next: Springboks for Australia, Nations Championship for Argentina
After the series in Argentina, the Wallabies have several weeks to prepare for their next match. According to ABC, Australia will play world champions South Africa in Perth on September 27, which will represent a significantly different test for Kiss's team. During that period, the coaching staff will have to assess the condition of Carter Gordon, whose injury in Mendoza further disrupted the organization of play in the closing stages. At the same time, the series victory in Argentina gives Australia a result on which it can build, but also enough warning that a numerical advantage, territory and an early lead do not by themselves guarantee control of a match. Efficiency in finishing attacks and management of key minutes will be among the areas the Wallabies will seek to improve.
For Argentina, the match in Mendoza was the national team's final home game of 2026. UAR states that after a period of rest, the Pumas return on November 6, when they will open the second phase of the new Nations Championship against Ireland in Dublin. The focus of Felipe Contepomi's team therefore shifts from the short series against Australia to a broader international cycle in which the development of younger players and greater consistency in discipline will play important roles. The draw with the Wallabies will not change the fact that the series belonged to Australia, but the way Argentina avoided defeat with 13 players remains one of the most striking images of the two-Test series. For Australia, meanwhile, the historic record will be simple: a 27:21 victory in Jujuy and a 28:28 draw in Mendoza were enough for its first series win on Argentine soil.
Sources:
- Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) – official report from the match in Mendoza, match progression, lineups, cards, scorers and Argentina's next appearance (link)
- Rugby Australia – official report on the 28:28 draw and Australia's first series victory in Argentina (link)
- Rugby Australia – official report on the Wallabies' 27:21 victory in the first Test in San Salvador de Jujuy (link)
- ABC News Australia – confirmation of the historic significance of the series, Les Kiss's record, Carter Gordon's injury and Australia's next match (link)
- Sky Sports – report on the finish with 13 Argentine players and the reactions of Harry Wilson and Les Kiss after the match (link)
- Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) – history of previous meetings between Argentina and Australia in Mendoza and the context of the Pumas' final home match of 2026 (link)