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That rugby is an 80-minute game is one of rugby’s oldest clichés, illustrated, for the second week running, by the spoils going to the sides playing their best rugby in the final minutes.
There was plenty to like about this Wallabies performance, a potential banana skin match at a tricky venue, against a Pumas side who seemingly kept something in reserve from last week.
What impressed most was the speed and efficiency of the Wallabies breakdown recycling, and while some of the play was a little too lateral, predictable and non-penetrating, this has the look of an improving side stepping nicely into their work.
Pressure on the Pumas was easily released, however, courtesy of slack discipline; Israel Folau and Will Skelton offering up cheap reversed penalties which allowed Argentina to clear their lines free of charge.
The Pumas worked hard in attack, creating numerous half-break opportunites, fullback Santiago Cordero proving particularly elusive. But while the Wallabies defence stretched on a number of occasions, it was never broken.
To be fair they were aided by referee Jaco Peyper who again impressed with his calm demeanour and clear decision making, but who let himself down by treating the offside line as some rubbery concept, not a hard and fast means of keeping the sides apart.
The Pumas’ late meltdown immediately after Quade Cooper stupidly gifted them an invitation to get back into the match was as surprising as it was spectacular. Instead of sensing a kill and switching up a gear they instead seemed to forget that there was still more than ten minutes to play.
Entering an attacking five-metre lineout with expectations of a lineout maul try, they instead conspired to throw directly to Rob Simmons, step into touch while fielding the clearing kick, and give away a soft obstruction penalty to allow Bernard Foley to take the game out of reach.
After which their scrum and defensive intensity clocked off completely and the Wallabies cashed in with two soft tries to Tevita Kuridrani and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Michael Cheika looked rightfully delighted, although he will no doubt reflect on Matt Toomua’s early concussion and hope that there are no long-term implications arising.
He is also no closer to solving his “Pooper” dilemma, David Pocock taking full advantage of his starting spot with a commanding performance, but Michael Hooper also offering plenty as a replacement – a mirror image of their contributions last week.
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg the All Blacks won the key moments and with it, the match against a Springbok team which continues to excite and frustrate their supporters in equal measure.
For the second week running the Boks delivered a first 40 minutes full of high-speed, skilful, inventive endeavoyr. Their breakdown work was again of the highest quality, Heinrich Brussow making a mockery of his four-year absence from Test rugby.
The glass half-full view is that rugby of this quality is too rich for most sides to match, and that coach Heyneke Meyer can move forward to the Rugby World Cup with great confidence.
The converse however, is that for the second successive week, the Springboks have thrown their best shots but still come up short. Not by much to be sure, but this is Test rugby and margins are fine.
This was a thrilling match, where both sides played with absolute positive intent, diminished in the end only by a set of circumstances which rendered the Boks a prop short, which gave referee Jerome Garces no choice but to demand non-contested scrums.
The match eventually swung on three aspects. Instead of heading to halftime seven points down, an All Black turnover from a contestable Aaron Smith kick led to a midfield bust by Lima Sopoaga and a finish by Ben Smith, squaring the ledger and nullifying all of the Springbok’s good work.
Then, with the intensity ramping up in the second half, and the All Blacks down to 14 men, the Boks succumbed to white line fever, ignoring their impressive backline at precisely the time Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende might have finished the All Blacks off.
Minutes earlier, Lood de Jager had just failed to find the blade of grass Kuridrani found in Brisbane, and then with the Boks pressing hard, replacement prop Vincent Koch spilled a short pass over the goal-line. In doing so he collected an accidental hand from Richie McCaw, opening up a cut, which in turn allowed Smith to clear far more easily than he might otherwise had, from an uncontested 7 v 8 scrum.
The final stanza however was vintage All Blacks, McCaw turning down a kickable penalty to draw the match in favour of going for the win from an attacking lineout.
The All Blacks faked a long throw to Keiran Read, allowing McCaw, positioned at halfback, to step into the space, take the short throw and smash over for the winning score.
Credit here to Codie Taylor, a novice hooker stepping into rugby’s toughest environment, but showing off a strong running game and a cool head to deliver the crucial throw.
Not that his senior hooker suffered by comparison. Dane Coles’ tackling was a highlight of the first half, and his second half try surely as an impressive a finishing effort ever seen from a hooker in Test rugby.
All Blacks supporters have for a while now been concerned about a weakness and lack of depth at hooker. On this evidence they may be worrying about nothing.
Coles was only pipped for man of the match by left-winger Charles Piatau, who was all skill and class in both defence and attack. If there were any doubts about him making the final World Cup squad, none exist now.
The All Blacks two debutants experienced contrasting nights. Lock James Broadhurst will have learnt that Test rugby allows no leeway for poor body height, while flyhalf Sopoaga showed that he does indeed have the temperament to handle this level – with the TV broadcast stats sheet even crediting him with two line-out takes for good measure!
Anyone with an eye to the World Cup, who anticipated a lack-lustre Rugby Championships as a result, now knows their folly. Argentina has disappointed to be sure, but the big three have kept nothing in reserve. As a result, all of the coaches have had some tough questions answered, and fans have been provided with a treat.
More goodies await in a fortnight. The Wallabies will face the All Blacks in Sydney with notably more confidence than what seemed possible six months ago.
But this All Blacks side is clearly not interested in whatever psychological benefits might accrue from dropping a game now to ease pressure on them later at the World Cup. That just isn’t the way they think.