The Pumas had the course of the first half and remained 19-10 at the break, courtesy of poor discipline from the visitors, who conceded nine penalties in the first 40 minutes.
But the Wallabies bounced back and scored three tries in the second half to go home. Leading 27-26 in the 70th minute, the Wallabies braved another run to the corner and Folau Fainga’a did what he does so often in Canberra and pounced. A try from Len Ikitau after the siren sealed the win.
Cooper appeared to tear a calf muscle in the 47th minute when he pushed himself to try to launch a tackle. It seems likely that he will be sidelined for much, if not all, of the Rugby Championship.
Fraser McReight, replacing Hooper, did his captain and the shirt proud with a busy performance that included a try.
Argentina led 19-10 after a first half often marked by the referee’s high-pitched whistle.
The Wallabies’ trend against England last month to make life difficult for themselves in their own half continued from the start when two errors gave the Pumas the ball 22 minutes into the first minute.
They got away with it at that point but it didn’t take long for Pablo Matera to open the scoring when he took a lovely inside ball from around 10 meters out and beat Allan Ala’alatoa’s cover defense to score the first points in minute five
The Wallabies responded with a penalty to Cooper from the kick-off, with some strong defending, but got the three points back straight away on offense from the restart.
Australia were unable to mount any serious pressure as they kept turning the ball over, and with Adamson clamping down on offsides, the Wallabies again conceded three more points in the 15th minute.
The Pumas were 13-3 up but clawed their way back into the game with a gutsy decision to turn down easy points in the 16th minute. A lineout maul came to nothing but Cooper did enough in the next phase to draw two defenders and give a Jordan Petaia angled run to the line for a try.
But the penalties kept coming, Argentinian shot-stopper Emiliano Boffelli hitting another in the 20th minute.
Cooper in attack for Australia. Credit: Getty
Cooper had a chance for a second try soon after when he made a clean break downfield but couldn’t get past a flying Fraser McReight in support, who would probably have scored. Another chance was called soon after when James Slipper couldn’t hold on to a Cooper offload near the line.
A harsh penalty against Jed Holloway ended the half and Boffelli kicked another goal to extend the lead.
Holloway came close to scoring after Tom Wright countered well but was unsupported in the clearance and the ball was lost.
Cooper was looking for another try in Pumas territory in the 47th minute when he slipped on wet grass on the way out, immediately hitting the cover clutching his calf.
The players comforted him before he limped off, apparently aware it was a serious tear.
The Wallabies’ mood quickly changed, however, when they used a line maul near the line to score a second try. McReight burst through the middle to finally score his first five-point try.
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The game and the scoreline tightened, but the Pumas relaxed again in the 55th minute when a sloppy kick chase allowed the visitors to break the line of pursuit, and an 80-metre run ended with Juan Martín González scoring a well-received try.
The match still had many twists and turns to come, however. The Wallabies again entered Pumas territory and used the rolling maul, and this time the referee admonished Argentina for an illegal collapse and awarded a penalty.
A long-range penalty from Reece Hodge finally put the Wallabies in front for the first time in the 64th minute.
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