Australia beat Argentina 27-21 in Jujuy as Les Kiss stays unbeaten
Australia defeated Argentina 27-21 in San Salvador de Jujuy on 29 August 2026, preserving Les Kiss’s unbeaten start as Wallabies head coach. The victory extended Australia’s winning run and came in a tightly contested Test played at altitude.
The result gave the Wallabies their first four-match winning streak since 2021 and kept Kiss unbeaten in his three Tests in charge. That sequence has included wins over Italy and Japan, who are ranked No 11 and No 12 respectively, while Argentina entered the match as the world No 7. Australia also had to contend with a hostile home crowd in Jujuy.
Australia opened the scoring after quick ball and direct lines from their forwards. A short pass from Carter Gordon allowed Rob Valetini to bend the line, Tom Hooper broke free and sent it wide to Josh Canham, whose offload put Brandon Paenga-Amosa over the line.
Ryan Lonergan and Gordon combined effectively before Lonergan’s box kick invited a chase from Max Jorgensen that won a penalty; Jorgensen then created the overlap for Gordon to power over. Argentina answered through a short lineout that split the Australian defence, with Faustino Sánchez Valarolo leading the move, Simón Benítez Cruz switching play and Santiago Carreras finding Gerónimo Prisciantelli for a score.
At 1,250 metres above sea level the game slowed and Gordon’s raking kicks pinned Argentina in their red zone, forcing two penalties that Australia punished when Fraser McReight burrowed over. Tension spilled into a sideline scuffle between Canham and Boris Wenger and Australia went a man down after Harry Potter was penalised for striking at a Valarolo pass; Pumas No 8 Joaquín Moro then finished two quick tap-and-runs. A penalty on the whistle extended Argentina’s lead to 22-14 at half-time.
Early in the second half Lonergan was injured while saving a try and Argentina finished a fast break with another score; forward passes by Prisciantelli and Cruz were ruled forward but Los Pumas narrowed the margin further when Wenger drove over. Kiss responded by emptying his bench and fresh legs, including Valetini and Hunter Paisami, helped Tom Hooper to finish a decisive move, while Ben Donaldson missed a nearby conversion.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s introduction steadied Australia briefly, and Jeremy Williams looked to score before replays showed a fumble. With eight minutes remaining and a six-point difference both sides pushed for a decisive blow; Tate McDermott was held up from a tap-and-go, Argentina carried into the red zone but a tackle by Billy Pollard allowed McReight to secure a turnover that proved decisive as the Wallabies held out in the closing stages.
Rob Valetini’s all-match charge led the effort and Kiss’s policy of rotating his young squad between Tests remained central to the result. The coach’s approach, the team said, is building depth, momentum and, more importantly, belief.