The Wallabies have been humbled by Argentina in a 67-27 thrashing in Santa Fe on Sunday morning AEST, the biggest margin of defeat Australia has suffered in a Test match.
After bursting off the blocks with a 20-3 lead after 30 minutes, Australia capitulated on either side of half-time as Los Pumas ran through 38 unanswered points.
Reserve Tate McDermott dived over in the 68th minute, but it was a lone highlight for Australia in a disastrous second half as Argentina scored four additional tries in the final ten minutes.
The hosts effectively won the final 50 minutes by a score of 64-7, which included nine Argentinian ties.
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Last weekend, the Wallabies clinched a gritty one-point victory over Argentina in La Plata, but this 40-point defeat leaves Australia reeling at the bottom of the Rugby Championship ladder.
It was also the most points Australia has conceded in a Test match.
“There were aspects of it that were really good, obviously, to lead a match 20 points to three. But then to get run down, and the manner which we did is really disappointing,” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt told Stan Sport.
“We will review the entire match, there were some positives in those first 30 minutes, but we cannot let a game get away from us like it did and fall off a cliff effectively.
“I thought we lost connection in our defensive line, we were forever chasing them. We didn’t put enough pressure on at the breakdown.
“They were operating off lightning-quick ball, and it’s just too difficult to keep chasing a team on a hot day without the ball.”
Earlier, the Springboks produced a storming finish for the second week in a row to beat the New Zealand All Blacks 18-12 in their Rugby Championship match at the Cape Town Stadium.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, playing with a broken nose, scored South Africa’s first try as his team overturned a 9-3 half-time deficit.
Replacement hooker Malcolm Marx scored the only other try six minutes from time while the All Blacks were down to 14 men after prop Tyrel Lomax was yellow-carded.
The win was South Africa’s fourth in as many matches in the tournament, almost guaranteeing them the title. It was New Zealand’s third defeat, eliminating them from contention.
It was also South Africa’s fourth successive win over New Zealand, going back to 2023. They had not won four in a row against their arch rivals since 1949.
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