THE Wallabies are coming back to Newcastle.
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Australia will take on Argentina in a Rugby Championship Test match at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday, September 5.
Rugby Australia's director of coaching Scott Johnson is expected to officially announce the game at a press conference in Newcastle on Friday. It will be the Wallabies' fourth match of the Rugby Championships and follows home-and-away fixtures against New Zealand and a trip to Perth to face the Springboks.
Australia, who have a new coach in Dave Rennie, and Argentina are likely to be based in the Hunter in the lead-up to the game.
Australia beat Argentina 16-10 in their most recent battle in Brisbane last year.
News of the Test comes on the eve the Waratahs' blockbuster Super Rugby clash with the Auckland Blues at Turton Road.
It has been eight years since the Wallabies played their last and only Test in the Hunter.
A crowd of 20,088 braved driving rain and gale-force winds at McDonald Jones Stadium and were left with an empty feeling after Scotland five-eighth Greig Laidlaw landed a last-minute penalty goal to secure the visitors a 9-6 win - their first win in Australia in 30 years.
Wallabies captain Michael Hooper made his international debut against the Scots in that contest, playing 15 minutes off the bench.
Since the Wallabies' loss to the Scots, Newcastle has established a successful record of hosting major events, including the Supercars, rugby league Test matches, the Asian Football Cup, Matildas internationals and most recently the 2018 A-League grand final.
Rugby Australia, Venues NSW, City of Newcastle and Destination NSW have joined forces to bring international rugby back to the region.
The event is expected to bring thousands of tourists to the Hunter in a major boost to the economy.
The return to McDonald Jones Stadium by the Wallabies follows a historic women's Test in the Hunter between the Wallaroos and Japan last July.
The Wallabies held a five-day training camp in Newcastle, using the facilities at No.2 Sportsground, in the lead up to the 2017 Bledisloe Cup series.
It is the second straight season the Waratahs have brought a game to Newcastle.
In welcoming the Tahs to the city on Tuesday night, Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the allocation of the match shows that "we are able to attract the large scale sporting events to Newcastle and that we are a destination of choice."
"We are looking at least 3500 people coming to Newcastle for the [Super Rugby] match, which is an injection of more than $500,000 to our economy."