Wallabies Joe Tomane and Tevita Kuridrani found the scoresheet but it wasn’t enough to help the Barbarians over the line against Argentina at Twickenham on Saturday.
The invitation side, coached by Michael Cheika, went down 31-49 to Los Pumas in a high-scoring contest, running in 12 tries all up.
The Barbarians managed five tries in the frenetic match-up, but Argentina managed seven of their own to edge out their opposition in London.
Kuridrani opened the scoring of the game in the seventh minute with his five-point effort converted by Lima Sopoaga.
Argentinian winger Santiago Cordero scored a first half brace for Los Pumas as the key weapon for his side, in an attacking contest.
As the contest wore on, the Argentinians wielded more dominance on the contest, sparked by a try to number eight Facundo Isa.
The talents of the Barbarians side rated as one of the best ever showed when New Zealand winger Waisake Naholo finished a Sopoaga in-field kick to add a try to his tally, four minutes .
Los Pumas had four tries by half-time, putting themselves in the box seat for a victory and they never let the Barbarians snatch the lead back.
Fijian winger Nemani Nadolo made a blistering run just after half-time but the threat was snuffed out by a try-saving tackle from Argentinian flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez.
Argentina’s powerful counter-attack led to an instant score through Martin Landajo.
Tomane added to the Barbarians’ tally in the 59th minute, a try converted by Nadolo, and the Fijian destroyer converted his own in the 74th minute.
Springbok and Barbarians captain Victor Matfield found the line in the final minute of the match to take their tally to 31 points for the night.
Argentina showed some ominous signs in attack ahead of their entry into the Super Rugby competition next year, in which they loom as a potential dark horse.
Both sides paid tribute to New Zealand legend Jonah Lomu, with every Argentinian player donning number 11 on their practise jerseys and Nadolo wearing a blank jersey for the game.
