Some things changed and some stayed the same when the Wallabies won their third match of the season, overcoming the Pumas in England on the weekend.
A 33-21 victory looks good, feels good and was needed to make sure the Wallabies finished second in the Rugby Championship. It would have taken a lot of effort and professionalism to keep the train on the track when the Wallabies were whitewashed by England and lost two in a row to New Zealand.
You wouldn’t call their performance since then excellent. There are signs some things have changed and some things have remained the same.
Changed: Composure was improved
It would have been easy for the Wallabies to fold as they fought through two yellow cards in the Argentina game. But they stayed in the game, fought hard and didn’t let the Pumas run away.
In fact, one of Samu Kerevi’s tries came when Adam Coleman was in the sin bin. What an All Blacks-like move!
They held their composure so well, it appears belief is creeping back into the team – at least in certain situations.
That belief will be immediately tested in their next match, against New Zealand. If they don’t continue to display better composure, the All Blacks will have it over them mentally.
The same: Not an 80-minute performance
It’s a massive cliché in sport – the notion of the 80-minute performance – but there’s truth behind the repetition. The Wallabies have shown in flashes this year that they can play with speed, accuracy and power. But they haven’t come close to showcasing that across an entire match.
That didn’t change against Argentina, as they played very well at stages, but for portions of the match still fell into bad habits of one-out running and repeated mistakes.
The Pumas are a second or third level team right now. For Australia to regularly perform on that first-tier level and beat the All Blacks or England away, they’re going to have to play consistently better for the whole 80 minutes. Fast starts or bursts of excellence won’t get that job done.
Changed: The lineout is making strides
No, the lineout isn’t perfect. This isn’t a Nathan Sharpe or John Eales-quality outfit yet.
However, the Wallabies again won more than 80 per cent of their own lineout throws and forced the Pumas into mistakes on a number of theirs.
Another strong part of the Aussie lineout display was the ability to sack mauls or form quickly to stop their progress. It will take another step up to see the same results against the All Blacks. Despite getting over for a try while their opponents were a man down, the Pumas’ mauling was very disrupted at other times.
The same: Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley still have a long way to go to develop their midfield partnership
At this point, Michael Cheika should continue to select Cooper and Foley together where possible for the remainder of the season. The team needs some continuity – there have been a lot of changes recently, whether due to injury or form.
That said, Cooper and Foley are still playing some of their best rugby when not paired together in the midfield. It often comes from turnovers, when one or the other is in a fortunate position, when they are split to opposite sides like rugby league pivots, or when one or the other is back receiving kicks.
In pure backline moves, they still have a tendency to crowd each other out. And their indecision has led to some handling errors.
One area they have improved since their first outing there is around the ruck. They are supporting each other’s runs more closely.
Changed: They overcame the oddest medico situation in history
Okay, this doesn’t quite fit the formula I was going for here, but seeing the Pumas medic tumbling after Nick Phipps pushed him onto the Twickenham turf was one of the oddest things I’ve seen on a rugby pitch.
But as the commentary pointed out that the medic may have appeared to Phipps to be going for the ball, which was awarded to Australia at the stop, I remembered something that furrowed my brow earlier in the match: the same medic appeared to touch players immediately after the Pumas scored their first try.
Matias Alemanno had barely crashed over when the medic was in the fray and looked to pull players off the pile. It was an odd sight.
That same medic becoming involved in play again later in the game is a pattern, not an aberration. (Click to Tweet)
It was the right decision not to take more serious action against Phipps. But I have to wonder whether the players were on the lookout for the medic after he got so obviously involved at the first try. Did anyone at the ground notice him involved with the players at odd times the cameras missed?
The Wallabies still have a long way to go. But winning games makes it easier to be content to dwell on the incremental improvements and ponder the repeated mistakes without veering into gloom.
Ash
Guest
I wonder if AB fans will boo Phipps incessantly this Saturday because of this incident to try and relieve looking at their own rugby culture's failings.
ClarkeG
Guest
I agree he would have no right to do that - if in fact he had done it. But lets not let the truth get in the way of a good story. To suggest Arg should be cited for something that the medic did not actually do is just silly.
ClarkeG
Guest
point 2 - Phipps kicked the ball away into touch. point 4 - you're kidding point 5 - fair point but the ref probably decided the push on the non player was the more serious - supported by the after match official warning to Phipps The Folau pen is a different situation - the ball is still alive. Grey was attempting to prevent Brown from gathering the ball when the ball was alive. Arg major offences? Phipps was just being a 1/2 back? - The penalty may have cost Aust a try?
Cadfael
Roar Guru
He was dragging players off another p[layer which he had no right to do.
ClarkeG
Guest
To Ash - Yeah but I am addressing one particular event from one particular rugby international. We do this after every international. There are always talking points and clearly this incident is to the forefront of discussion this week. In 2 weeks time it will be something else. I'm hardly finger pointing. I have also expressed elsewhere that the Arg medic should have not touched the ball. But if you think that this incident might not have gone to another level if the medic had been injured then that would be naive on your part. That is my point. But we can bring up every incident that has ever gone down all over the world (incl Aust) that might have a rugby connection if you like but .... no actually - I will leave that to you. If you have been paying attention you will have seen that there has been an awful lot of your so called 'finger pointing' from within NZ in regard to those incidents you imply. Now - did you have anything worthwhile to add in regard to the Phipps/Arg medic incident.
ClarkeG
Guest
Should not have been on the field but he did not drag players away from the try scorer.
Ash
Guest
Maybe Phipps should have got the medic in a different situation: 1. Waited for the after party 2. Used a public toilet in his no. 1s 3. Got his brother to hold him down and beat four medics and get a judge to look the other way 4. Sat in his car outside a supermarket on 3 or 4 times You kiwis need to stop pointing the finger.
ClarkeG
Guest
Correct but in Grey's case the ball was still live and in the case of the Arg medic the ball was dead.
Timbo (L)
Guest
Phipps' push has multiple parts, each noteworthy. 1. The medic, on the field, actively went for the ball - This may have been an instinct to help out. But he made a poor choice. 2. Phipps wanted the Ball, against England, there was a push to get the scrums moving quickly to prevent the heavy English forwards from catching their breath. His hustle was justified. 3. A medic is a protected species - Do not touch! - Have a whinge to the ref, sure, but don't take the law into your own hands. 4. The Medic was a ball carrier - Did the act of picking up the ball relinquish his protection rights? 5. The Argentinian back ran in to shove Phipps. In general Play, this might get you a yellow if there has been a bit of it going on. Do 2 wrongs make a right? Precedents set by IRB refs: Folau got penalized for holding onto the ball after taking it into touch, preventing a quick line out. A melee ensued. Kepu (I think) or Moore had a penalty reversed against England for coming in late to an altercation. Trainer Nathan Gray, on the side line touched the ball and got a shove, there was no penalty. Argentina was guilty of 2 major offenses, Phipps was just being a halfback and was a bit stupid. The penalty may have cost Australia a try and a bonus point.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Correct but Grey was not in the field of play whereas the Argentinian was.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
It wasn't the first time in the game either. The same medico was dragging players off the Argentinian scorer and again nothing was done. it should have been the Argentine side cited.
Brizvegas
Guest
So did the ARU sanction Phipps???
Kesmcc
Guest
Also copped a high shot from the same player who handed out many more without punishment
One Eye
Guest
So explain Kepu's multiple late and high tackles on Carter in the RWC Final, at least 3 before he was warned he would be carded - should have been after the 2nd.
One Eye
Guest
Habana has been pining for an Oscar for years... (at least ever since his skills faded)
ClarkeG
Guest
I was making a comparison with the Phipps incident. You missed the bit where I said the AB's rightly incurred a fine. And I might add the ABs and Messam were publicly reprimanded by NZR.
ClarkeG
Guest
Phipps was issued with a warning for contravening good sportsmanship.
ClarkeG
Guest
And that would deny the Arg team their doctor if he was in fact their doctor.
ClarkeG
Guest
The only reason a medic would be in the field of play while the ball is in play would be to attend an injured player. I would suggest it would not be a good idea to push any medic at any time including entering the playing area, attending the player, or leaving the playing area.
StevieB
Guest
He was involved in 2 separate instances though, in the space of a few weeks, that's why Owens laid down the law cause he'd done it before, he was way too involved in general and I was actually surprised Hansen didn't do something about it, doesn't matter one bit if he was trying to pull them apart, he should be nowhere near it After first discretion he should have been pulled, add in examples like kicking that ball away in sevens and getting binned, he had a great 2013 but last few years he's become a bit of a boof head