In a tense, altitude-challenged opening rugby test match held in Jujuy, Argentina on Saturday, Australia withstood a late Argentine rally to secure a hard-fought 27-21 victory, extending its unbeaten streak under new interim head coach Les Kiss.
The Wallabies got off to a blistering start, crossing the try line twice within the opening 10 minutes to build an immediate advantage. Hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa opened the scoring, followed quickly by flyhalf Carter Gordon, putting Argentina on the back foot early. The Pumas responded with attacking flair but struggled to match Australia’s clinical efficiency in the red zone, a gap that would shape the entire contest.
By the 20th minute, Wallaby backrower Fraser McReight added a third try from a chaotic goal-line scramble, pushing Australia’s lead out to 19-7. Argentina did not fold, however. While Australian winger Harry Potter served a 10-minute sin bin that left the Wallabies down to 14 men, the Pumas capitalized on a five-meter scrum free kick to put backrow Joaquin Moro over the line for a try. A late first-half penalty from substitute scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan sent Australia into halftime with an 22-14, eight-point buffer.
The high altitude of the mountainous Jujuy venue began to take a physical toll on both sides in the second half, particularly fatigue impacting Australia’s ability to maintain possession and sharpness. Argentina came out firing, cutting the deficit to just one point just 11 minutes into the second half when loosehead prop Boris Wenger crossed for a try, making the score 22-21. Fullback Geronimo Piscatelli, who had scored Argentina’s first try in the 14th minute, twice came inches away from putting the Pumas ahead, with one potential score called back for a forward pass.
Australia dug in defensively when it mattered most. In the 53rd minute, a line break from center Hunter Paisami set up backrower Tom Hooper’s try — his first try in three years — pushing the Wallabies’ lead back out to six points. Over the remaining 27 minutes of play, fatigue left Australia struggling to retain possession, gifting Argentina repeated late opportunities to snatch a match-winning win. But Australian’s defensive line held firm, fending off every late Argentine attack to preserve the 27-21 result until the final whistle.
“Here at altitude the shoulders are sore, the lungs are sore,” Hooper told reporters after the match. “It was a hard test match and the whole 23 got us across the line.”
The win keeps Australia’s perfect record intact under Kiss, a former rugby league star who took over as head coach following Joe Schmidt’s departure. Hooper praised Kiss’ leadership style, noting that his calm communication and focus on elite-level training standards have reshaped the squad’s mindset ahead of upcoming competitions.
“[Kiss] has brought a really good mindset in terms of how we’re training,” Hooper said. “If you want to be world class, get good results and lift a bit of silverware you have to train world class.”
For Argentina, the result highlighted the Pumas’ growing attacking potential but also exposed ongoing finishing issues. While the side consistently found gaps in Australia’s defensive line and created multiple late scoring chances, imprecision in the final pass and red zone kept them from turning opportunities into points. Piscatelli stood out as the Pumas’ most constant attacking threat, alongside industrious performances from Wenger and Moro, who each notched one try on the day.
The two sides will meet again next weekend in the second and final test of the series, with Australia looking to lock in a series win and Argentina aiming to turn its near-miss into a comeback victory.