Los Pumas beat Australia in Sydney, keeping their dream alive | OneFootball

This time they could celebrate. The Pumas suffered again at the end, but they were cooler to close the match at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney without Australia putting them against the ropes like last week in Townsville. Argentina won 28-26 after an extraordinary first half and a second half with adversities - a yellow card and again unclear refereeing decisions - which were successfully overcome, albeit with a dose of suffering for the team led by Felipe Contepomi. Once again, as happened in 2024, the national team will reach the last two matches of the Rugby Championship with a chance to fight for the title.

The Pumas tightened the screws and connected exactly with the best of the first match, which ended badly exactly a week ago. Contepomi's XV played in Sydney as they did in the initial period in Townsville. Even better, because they were even more disciplined in defense. In attack, meanwhile, they were super pragmatic, going for the posts to score early and increase the lead, without constantly trying to find the lines as a path to the try.

The team was well-oiled, with many individuals at their peak. Once again, Santiago Carreras did a great job as a fly-half. And he did it not only by making good decisions with the ball in hand but with great kicking accuracy. The Cordoban, infallible, contributed 23 of the 28 points in a victory that will be remembered for a long time. If Contepomi noted anything, it's the competition he finally has for the number 10 jersey.

In his 50th match as captain - just one short of the record still held by Agustín Creevy - Julián Montoya blocked a free kick and, after a run worthy of a back, ended up scoring the first and only try for the Pumas.

Carreras converted, and they were seven key points. Because the Cordoban had opened the scoring with a penalty, but the Wallabies quickly reacted with a try from the formidable Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who arrived without difficulty and dragging Argentine players into the in-goal. Tane Edmed extended the lead with the conversion and made it clear what kind of match was being played: full of speed and without respite.

After the break, Carreras remained infallible with his kicks to the posts. And the Pumas kept escaping until they were 28-7 ahead. But the fly-half also spent 10 minutes off the field. He saw the yellow card for a play exactly like the one that had taken Jorgensen out. And that was a turning point. Because Australia grew as they hadn't throughout the match. They scored two consecutive tries - Andrew Kellaway first and Filipo Daugunu afterward - while the Pumas were going through their worst moment on the field. Night was falling.

Argentina lowered their collective performance, although not as much as last week, and it was the individual efforts that stopped Australia. Lucio Cinti and Marcos Kremer were tackling machines. But just like in the last match, once again the refereeing decisions moved the needle. Because the Wallabies got close at the end, but they did so with a try that was inexplicably validated: because although Daugunu scored again with class, he was assisted with a forward pass that the French referee Christophe Ridley did not see and that also slipped past the TMO.

Apart from the controversies - Contepomi left very angry - the Pumas held on and won a great match. And they also registered with possibilities to, just like last year, fight for a tournament they have never won. Now there will be a week of "rest" before facing the last two dates against South Africa: first as visitors in Durban and in the final date as locals, although in London.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.