Reece Hodge missed a last-gasp penalty as 14-man Australia drew with Argentina for the second straight game to confirm New Zealand as Tri Nations champions Saturday.
The Wallabies needed a crushing 101-point win over the Pumas, who were missing captain Pablo Matera after a racist tweet scandal, to overhaul the All Blacks in the tournament’s final game.
Argentina needed to win by 93 points to lift the trophy, but a high-scoring match was never in prospect on a muggy night of steady rain in Sydney.
Instead, they remarkably finished at 16-16, a fortnight after they couldn’t be separated in a 15-all clash.
Hodge could have won the game but sent his 45-metre kick wide with a minute remaining, just as he did in the dying seconds of their drawn match two weeks ago.
“We’re not happy with the performance, we’re disappointed we can’t get a win in our last game,” said Australia captain Michael Hooper.