After a week of soul-searching and patch-ups from the touring party, and a massive sharpening of knives at home, a new-look Wallabies ultimately overcame a willing although hapahazard Argentina in Rosario 25-19.
A spine-tingling anthem from the Argentinian crowd farewelled 35yo prop Rodrigo Roncero, but Los Pumas lacked punch in the early stages of the match and allowed a grateful Wallaby team to settle into a pattern of sorts.
The settled look was due in no small part to reborn flyhalf Kurtley Beale who showed his hand early by standing flat and taking on the defensive line. Beale with ball in hand is always dangerous and he stated his case here.
In turn, Timani, Sharpe and Higginbotham were belligerent in the loose, keeping their feet when required, and blasting the Argentinians off the ball on the ground to give Phipps a chance to set the ball away.
For occasional moments, we got a chance to see the traditional Wallaby style of ball-in-hand rugby, a style which was lamented by Wallaby Julian Huxley in an excellent analysis piece earlier in the week.
Huxley noted the lack of accumulated passes in the Springbok Test and it was as if the Wallabies had read the memo, as they made every effort to move the ball about and chance their arm.
It was just the stuff to gratify their jaded supporters at home, and had it come off more often, the clattering of pitchforks and roar of burning torches may have subsided somewhat.
Unfortunately the twin evils of an over-zealous referee and poor handling obliterated any chance the game had of becoming a memorable spectacle.
I’ll concede that Craig Joubert is a technically excellent referee. He knows the laws and it is rare that he is caught with a technically sloppy performance in the manner of say, an Alain Rolland.
But in this way he’s like a parking cop who books a mother with a pram and three kids for overstaying her spot by a minute. Someone should tell Joubert that just because you’re right doesn’t mean you’re right.
He insists on blowing up every infringement he sees, regardless of the effect it may have on the game, or the context in which it occurs.
His pedantic penalty against Australia for going off their feet when they were attacking, Argentina was not contesting, and the ball was sitting at the back of the ruck under Phipps’ hands, showed everything which is wrong with his style.
During one goal kick, when the laser-pest briefly rested on Joubert instead of Harris, a wag remarked “Perhaps he’s trying to melt the whistle”. If only.
The pernickety Joubert doesn’t attract charitable notions. The only thing one could say is that despite his obvious intention to blow the game to a standstill if it didn’t go his way, the players for their part didn’t take the initiative.
Argentina particularly tried several times to spoil the Wallabies ball by loitering over the tackled player and sleazing in on the side, but they lacked the masterful subtlety and the smart choice of moment of the All Blacks. It was like a bad dancer who had seen an Astaire movie and was now trying to glide-step over a tipping chair. It’s only ever going to end badly.
And of course, Joubert wasn’t responsible for the noxious handling which infected both sides. Passing was generally pedestrian, but catching was in the sewer. Atrocious doesn’t begin to describe it. Punishing might be a better synonym.
The humidity didn’t help and Nathan Sharpe remarked after the match at how wet the ball was. Radike Samo, whose hands are as big as laundry baskets, dropped one kickoff cold and juggled a couple more. Nick Cummins lost a kickoff despite some impressive aerial commitment. Ben Tapuai turned over a couple of balls with agricultural skills. But the real pity has to be reserved for the wretched Digby Ioane.
After near self-immolation at his display against the Springboks, Ioane vowed to make amends against Argentina but, if possible, he was worse. After 50 minutes, he had five drops against his name and his confidence had deserted him entirely.
He finished by going into contact with only one thought in mind – “hold the ball” – and was a sad sight surrendering in the tackle. You couldn’t help but feel for one of the Wallabies’ best players of the last two years.
However, when he finally managed to catch one, it was to latch onto a sweet little nut from Beale who was taking every one of his few chances to test the defence.
With Beale standing wide off a scrum 30 metres out, and McCabe drifting away across field, Tapuai ran a slashing and extreme unders line back towards his forwards to fix the defence.
Marcelo Bosch at 13 for Argentina held tight to his fellow centre Santiago Fernandez, but eventually could ignore the drifting McCabe no longer and turned his hips a fraction outwards. Fernandez, on Bosch’s inside, made an ineffectual dive in the opposite direction at the decoy Tapuai.
Ioane momentarily stepped out of his nightmare and roared through the resultant gap like a nitro-fuelled dragster to score under the posts.
The Ioane try was preceded by a period of truly magnificent Wallaby defence on their own line. People say a lot of things about this Wallaby side. They say their skills are sometimes suspect, they spend too much time on their Xboxes and Twitter and that a couple of them wouldn’t qualify under the Sydney Swans recruitment policy.
Those things are sometimes hard to argue, but for anyone who doubts the heart of this particular lineup, just watch this series of phases at 60 minutes, on hostile soil, against a home crowd wielding lasers and against an Argentine side bent on their first Rugby Championship win, with the score at 15-12.
The game was in the balance, but Sharpe, Hooper and Robinson all repelled raids with hard-shouldered tackling, and when the ball finally went wide, debutant Cummins flattened an Argy back and the tireless Higginbotham made the essential cover tackle to shut it down.
It was the sort of ticker that Wallabies fans demand, and appreciate, and they will never mind a loss if it is accompanied by such wholehearted commitment to the cause. As forwards coach Andrew Blades said after the match “We were very proud of their commitment” and he has every reason to be.
Indeed, several players laid claim to incumbency status. David Pocock for instance, having seen off the maestro George Smith, must be feeling suddenly odd at the idea that he in turn, is being pressured by the incredible form of his replacement Michael Hooper.
Hooper simply did not stop. His aerobic fitness is beyond normal human limits and his speed from a lineout steal after 50 minutes of rugby made him look ridiculously fresh.
Indeed, he put a great rushing shot on an Argentine back at 77 minutes when the game was effectively over. His heart and willingness is of inestimable value.
Higginbotham for once used his bulk and athleticism to good effect and chose his moments well. Harris, for some a lamentable selection at fullback, showed the value of building a score through a reliable kicker. The metronome of points gives sides a rare confidence in tough games.
McCabe held up the midfield and whilst not flashy, is as consistent as the tide. He must be a joy to play alongside, if not always to watch.
Beale of course, when given the ball with space and time, showed that he is in all probability a better flyhalf than his flaky henchman Quade Cooper.
While both have quicksilver moments of true genius, Beale picks his moments better and his defence is genuine Test quality. What an odd feeling it must be to know that the better you play, the more likely it is that one of your good mates is out of a job.
Finally, the debutant Nick Cummins had limited opportunities and dropped one kickoff cold, although he was jarred in the air, which may not have helped. Despite this his defence was tough and he had the air of a man who actually gets better with the step up in quality.
I have no scientific basis for saying this, and I’ll probably be laughed out of the joint, but a strange instinct tells me that Test football will be the making of Cummins, and the Wallabies could do a lot worse than persevere with him. Rob Egerton was a similar talisman for the Wallabies of 1991.
So what does all this mean for the Wallabies, and more to the point, Robbie Deans? Pardon the analogy, but Deans must be feeling like the daggy sheep at the back of the mob. Bitten by the dogs, butted by the rams, pushed along by the farmer and harassed on all sides, he must be wondering exactly what he has to do to get some sort of a break.
Few people believe that Deans should be in charge for the Spring Tour. Even fewer think he is the man to take the Wallabies through to the Lions series next year. Certainly the man himself must be exhausted by the Sword of Damocles constantly hanging over his head.
But this win shows that Camp Wallaby is at its best when its back is to the wall, which in turn suggests that the players must share some of the blame. After all, had they held some more ball in this Test, there was enough of a pattern to suggest that they know what to do and that a strategy exists. Their set piece try was excellent quality.
Deans has often been legitimately criticized for his selections, not the least of which was his fatal gamble in taking a single specialist open-side to the World Cup. One wonders how much he is now paying the price for selecting first the navel-gazing individualist Cooper, and then the clearly gunshy and kick-happy Barnes, in the drivers seat for most of the last two years.
Whatever his logic then, the welcome arrival of Wallaby ticker, Michael Hooper and Kurtley Beale may perhaps have bought him just a little more time.
liam
Guest
how many times has read picked up freak passes around his legs, held onto it and managed a freak pass of his own to a winger for a try to finish an overlap? getting up to the double figures in tests. unbelievable. there arent many backs with that kind of ability let alone forwards.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
yes welcome back Logarelli, now your back from your North Korean hiatus let's see some more. I think this win in Rosario has save Dingo's job.
soapit
Guest
peter, do you think changing yellow card to 5 mins would make refs more comfortable doling them out?
soapit
Guest
you contradict yourself james, you say we dont have anyone around that could replace deans but you then go on to demonstrate what an awesome coach you are and how youd be the perfect fit for the wallabies right now.
soapit
Guest
to be fair on joubert i think he was hoping the argies and aussies would adjust and stop illegally slowing the ball down and hanging offside we'd get an open game. they just never did. its the players faults as much as the refs.
bluerose
Guest
i think Mcmeniman went after the $$$$ in Japan and not coz of injuries.
Lats
Guest
Re Dagg.. the pass to Devilliers is forward.. clearly... so it never should have gotten to Dagg.... Devilliers makes his break.. then gets tackles by another All Black.. and falls down in front of Dagg.. the ball spills out .. Dagg picks it up.. and gets pinged for a professional foul... for the life of me.. I cannot comprehend how Dagg got sent off for that. .. he wasnt one of the tacklers.. a ruck hadnt been formed.. the ball clearly was still in play. I think there are questions marks over Mr Rolaind. Last week, Slipper, clearnly oon his feet.. Bok falls down in front of him.. he reaches in for the pill... gets sent off... few phases later... Boks score with a rolling maul.. where 2 players at the front clearly break off and take out the Aussie defenders.. truck and trailer.. obstruction, call it what you will , should have been no try.... Brett Sheehan got sent off before anyone even knew he was on the field lol. SA vs NZ... first half Devilliers pass to Habana.. clearnly 1 metre forward... Devilliers is behind the 22 yard line.. Habana catches it in front of the 22 yard line...but the ref misses it and awards the try... later Nonu gets pinged for being offside... by a couple of millimetres.... SA commenttors say at the 50 minute mark SA have received 9 penalties.. NZ... ZERO... (??) by the end of the game, NZ had conceded 12 penalties to 4... how is that possible given how dominant NZ were for the last 60 minutes?? With Rolaind..penalises the attacking team for not letting the ball go seems to be his detault position.. with Joubert.. its the opposite .. he penalises the defending team for not letting go of the tackled player... (thats a generalisation mind you) but you dont get this in any other sport... in the NBA.. NRL.. English Premier league.. refs make the odd mistake.. but they dont have completely different intepretaions on how the game is supposed to be played. have a look at 57.20 secods.. Kiwi (Read?) gets tackled.. goes to ground... Bokke never realease him.. no daylight.. reach straight in for the ball... Read gets penalised within about half a second of hitting the turf... seriously, I thought the tacklers had to release the tackled player "the daylight rule) and then go for the ball... so... how is it possible that Read could have presented the ball, when the SA defenders never took their hands of him?? That is how Rolaind refs his games.. and to me.. its clearly WRONG. I think coaches should write mandatory referees reports after every game.. I would be fuming if I was Steve Hansen.. Im an Aussie by the way and support the Wallabies... so feel confident that Im a nuetral on this one.. I dislike the Boks and All Blacks equally as much :-)
Crazy Horse
Guest
Cummins ( note spelling ) is also able to play in the centres and has done so many times in Super 15. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].
Mike
Guest
Good point about trigger happy refs, Lats. Israel Dagg was binned against the Boks also. Probably justified, as in they all are, but is it necessary?
Myles Stedman
Roar Guru
Agreed. Nothing less than shocked at his inclusion
Markus
Guest
Larkham has been reintroducing a lot of classic set backline plays into the Brumbies attack, which were used to devastating effect in a few games. McCabe really looked to thrive with that added structure, as did Lealifano (in conjunction with his own natural flair), but then McCabe often looks to be uncertain in attack again when back for the Wallabies this year. I genuinely wonder if many of the Wallabies backs are struggling under the 'play what is in front of you' coaching ethos.
Jutsie
Guest
Yeah and mcmeinaman as well. Although its great to hear rathbone is making a comeback for the brumbs next year!
Lats
Guest
Managed to find a replay of the game.... watching it sober was a big of an eye opener. Wallabies played pretty well, sure they spilled a few balls, but that happens. General observations... The scrum with Timani and Higginbottom playing as flankers at the same time looks rock solid.. thought the Argies were lucky not to concede a couple of scrum penalities... maybe a monster pack is just what the Wallabies need??? Aussie forwards dominated the breakdown.. having Tiani and Hbottom takes the load of TPN, Robinson, Alexander who all did a ton of work. (as did all of them) ... but Hooper was awesome as well... Dont know who these people are bagging Phips.. the guy has had 2 great games (SA & Pumas).. ok he knocked on a couple of times.. one or passes didnt hit their mark, but Argies did get the hand in the way in one... The guy provides QuICK service.... unlike Genia who provides slow ball.. and he didnt do a SINGLE box kick (praise the lord) only time he kicked found a nice touch . Tapuai and Cummings both did enough to stay in...Taps in particular oozes class.. did you see his mark under presure facing the wrong way in the first half? He will really gron into a good test player I feel. Beale was sensational... Harris at fullback... this guy is a really smart player.. bigger than I realized and nice and quick.. not to mention an awesome boot. Forget this 40 injured Wallabies nonsense, I reckon this side was the best side we have put on the park all year. Im still not sold on McCabe... sorry dude, I would bring Taps into 12... A. Faingaa 13, Harris 15, and then its a shoot out between Ioane, Cummings and Shipperly for the 2 wings. Why does A.Faingaa keep getting dropped? He loves the rough stuff, can tackle like a UFC fighter, and is one of the few backs to consistently chase after kicks. I think with Reds teamates either side of him he could be a good test player as well. AS for the stop start nature of the game.. Im sorry, but the ref blew the whistle every time a ruck formed, seriously, how can either side build any momentum when that happens. Along Rolain last week, the only problem witn international rugby is the guys with the whistle....and whats this business about sending guys off? Slpper last week? An Argie this week, Sheehan within 30 seconds of comming on??? guys have to make a decision in the blink of an eyelid.. fatigue sets in.. they make a slight mistake (come in at 85 degrees not 90 degrees and POW.. they are in the bin!! Guys are getting sent of way to easily nowdays methinks. People pay to see a 15 on 15 contest. IF a guy gets a yellow card for continuous offside / foul play, , surely he should be suspended for the following week or something??
Die hard
Roar Rookie
Do you not think it a great shame that his position wasn't identified several years earlier so he could propery learn the craft against more appropriate opposition. My greatest moan about Aussie rugger is the continual clutching of short tem solutions. As soon as a talent is found they are dumped into a firsts teamand talked up. A few years playing less minutes as a backup or at a lower grade (even if demeaning) is where the poise and space that the champions have comes from. To try and aquire that experience at Super and Teat levels is unfair on the whole team let alone the individual. Most players are expert in one position and the rare example might be good at two. The Australian way seems to be play 'em everywhere and lets see what happens. I still don't know where JOC plays. Could be anywhere. Surely you can see the shame of that. If Beale is to be first five eight then he should play there from now on and never change. (Would be one less position for JOC to consider). It might take the first season to teach him not to crab sideways even if it works occassionaly.
p.Tah
Guest
Agree Sheek, the Argies have been great. I've loved 'visiting' new cities and stadia.
bennalong
Guest
Can anyone tell me................. why the ARU dropped us a place in the middle of the Championship and on what basis why Joubert reffed this last game and not a NH ref or conversely why he didn't ref Oz v NZ
SkinnyKid
Guest
PK - I was more annoyed that he kept blowing the whistle even thought there was clear advantage to be had. Strange.
bluerose
Guest
just like that lady said on 50 First Dates- ''sometimes life is unfair'', injuries affected Sherpherd, Rathbone, Tune, Heenan and now Hynes, such is life i guess
Chivas
Guest
ta :-)
PeterK
Roar Guru
Stop blaming Joubert. His main mistake was not using the yellow card earlier and more often. The players get infringing trying to slow the ruck and refused to adapt to a ref who was enforcing the laws. Sure a few rare times he should of let it go when he did not and maybe he was frustrated at that point by continual willful infringing. Far better than Rolland who goes to the Lawrence school of reffing breakdowns and like most NH refs allows anything goes and ignores players slowing the ball down at rucks by holding on, not rolling away and diving over the top.