Joseph Sua'ali'i scores but Wallabies fall to Argentina in Rugby Championship loss

Australia lost 28-26 to Argentina at Sydney's Allianz Stadium on Saturday, September 13, damaging their Rugby Championship title prospects. The Wallabies conceded 14 penalties throughout the match, allowing Argentina to secure victory through seven successful penalty kicks despite managing only one try. Argentina's Santi Carreras converted all eight attempts from the tee, while Australia's four tries were insufficient to overcome their disciplinary issues.

The Wallabies trailed 28-7 at one point before mounting a second-half comeback that fell just short. "We didn't lose that game because of the ref," Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott told Stan Sport. "We lost it because of our ill-discipline in contact at the breakdown."

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Australia's handling errors and ruck infractions proved costly against Argentina's structured approach. The Wallabies earned a bonus point but remain dependent on other results to claim their first Rugby Championship since 2015.

Early exchanges set Rugby Championship match tone

Centre Joseph Sua'ali'i opened scoring in the fifth minute, barging through tackles to cross the tryline with Andrew Kellaway providing the assist. Argentina responded immediately when captain Julian Montoya charged down Tane Edmed's free kick and scored near the posts.

Edmed's difficult performance continued when he collided with halfback Nic White while attempting to mark a kick. Winger Max Jorgensen received a yellow card for deliberate knock-on, denying Argentina an attacking opportunity.

Argentina extended their lead through three second-half penalties before centre Carreras was sin-binned for intentional knock-on. The Wallabies capitalized with consecutive tries from Kellaway and Filipo Daugunu, who scored a 50-meter effort along the sideline.

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Daugunu added a second try in the final minutes despite an apparent forward pass, but the Wallabies could not secure the winning score.

The Wallabies require South Africa to defeat New Zealand later Saturday to maintain realistic Rugby Championship title chances.