Australia beat Argentina as New Zealand take title

Omnisports

September 17, 2016 8:22 AM

Australia secured a bonus-point 36-20 win over Argentina on Saturday - a victory that confirmed New Zealand's status as 2016 Rugby Championship winners.

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Australia secured a bonus-point 36-20 win over Argentina on Saturday - a victory that confirmed New Zealand's status as 2016 Rugby Championship winners.

The All Blacks had thrashed South Africa 41-13 earlier on Saturday, meaning only a bonus-point success for Argentina in Perth could stop the world champions regaining the title from the Wallabies.

And, with the home side racing into a 21-0 lead inside 12 minutes at nib Stadium thanks to scores from Samu Kerevi, Dane Haylett-Petty and Will Genia, that was always a distant prospect.

The Pumas did score second-half tries through Santiago Cordero and Facunda Isa, but they were little more than consolations as Australia also crossed courtesy of Michael Hooper and Genia.

Victory saw the Wallabies move second in the table ahead of a trip to Pretoria to take on the Springboks in a fortnight, while Argentina face a daunting home clash with the world champions in Buenos Aires.

The Wallabies made a flying start and were on the board inside the first minute as excellent hands moved the ball right, where Hooper expertly set up Kerevi in the corner.

It was 14-0 with 10 minutes played as Quade Cooper's sublime inside pass set Haylett-Petty in under the posts, before Genia claimed Australia's third.

The scrum-half knocked the ball loose in the tackle, hacked forward and picked up to touch down and leave the Pumas shell-shocked.

A pair of Nicolas Sanchez penalties - the second after Scott Sio was sin-binned for tackling the player without the ball - made it 21-6 at the interval and Argentina were back to within eight as they worked the ball through hands for Cordero to score.

A barnstorming run from Sean McMahon laid the platform for Genia to dive over from the base of the ruck shortly afterwards, and the Wallabies pulled further clear as Cooper fed Hooper to race away under the posts.

Cooper was then sent to the bin for failing to use his arms in tackling Sanchez without the ball, and the Pumas capitalised on their numerical advantage as Isa scrambled over, before Reece Hodge's late penalty competed the scoring.

Omnisports

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