Newcastle (Australia) (AFP)

A victory and Australia took the lead in the Rugby Championship alone.

But on their home soil of Newcastle, the Wallabies had to be content with a draw (15-15) on Saturday against valiant Argentines, still solid if not brilliant, a week after their feat against New Zealand.

After four days, the Pumas have six points, as many as the All Blacks and the Wallabies, in the prestigious competition of the Southern Hemisphere, deprived this year of its defending champion, South Africa, forfeit.

But unlike the two giants, Argentina have one game less and are the only undefeated team.

Who would have thought this possible before the tournament?

The Argentines had not played since the 2019 World Cup before bringing down the All Blacks (25-15) for the first time in their history in Sydney last Saturday.

And their preparation had been thwarted by a succession of cases of Covid-19 contamination.

But, on Saturday, in front of several thousand Australian spectators, Mario Ledesma's men once again demonstrated admirable resilience in a match devoid of testing and punctuated by several clashes between players.

Neither the exit to the quarter of an hour of play of the winger of Racing 92 Juan Imhoff, touched at the level of the left thigh, nor, especially, the yellow card inflicted on the return of the locker room to the hooker Julian Montoya, did not seem the unseat.

The Argentines, who benefit from the advice of ex-Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, recovered a handicap of nine points (15-6) in the second half.

It is the opener of the French Stadium Nicolas Sanchez who has, again, scored all the points of his team.

The Australians, who also beat the All Blacks (24-22) in their last outing, were dominant in the first period both territorially and with the ball in hand and cornered the Pumas in their half of the field.

But they were denied two tries.

On the first (15), a low kick in the axis of Hunter Paisami found Jordan Petaia but the 20-year-old cross set foot on the line when it was time to flatten.

Marika Koroibete then flattened to a corner shortly before the break (40) but the last pass to the Australian winger appeared to be ahead.

- Hodge misses a match point -

The Pumas continued to put up an iron defense against the two-time World Cup winners (1991, 1999) and gradually caught up in the second half by pushing them to make mistakes, causing them in particular problems on the sidelines.

The meeting could have switched to one side or the other at the end of the game, the opener Reece Hodge, impeccable until then, then conceding his first failure in front of the poles.

And Argentina almost saw a final breakthrough be rewarded with a try but Jake Gordon grabbed the ball in extremis.

The Wallabies remained on two victories against the Pumas who confirm their good disposition.

Next Saturday, on the penultimate day, they will face the All Blacks again, who will try to wash away the affront of Sydney.

Already defeated by the Wallabies before, Sam Cane and his partners remain on two consecutive defeats.

Unheard of since 2011 for the flagship nation of world rugby, three-time World Cup winner.

© 2020 AFP