Michael Cheika’s Argentina took to the skies in an impressive 48-17 defeat of the Wallabies in San Juan with Los Pumas claiming their biggest-ever win over Australia .
Australia had the chance to go to a lead in the Rugby Championship following New Zealand’s win over South Africa earlier on Sunday but they were swatted aside and instead Los Pumas are flying high on top of the table.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie will look to a shocking run with injuries and withdrawals before the game – he has 17 potential Wallabies on the sidelines right now – as an excuse and he will be desperate to have the cavalry return for the next two matches against the Springboks.
“Massive disappointment – it’s not good enough,” Rennie said. “We conceded four tries with kicks in behind us and got dominated in the collision area.
“We want to earn the respect of the country but you don’t do it with performances like that.”
Rennie admitted the team lacked cohesion with the changes forced on him but added: “We had a good enough side on the paddock to do the job, gave them a few soft points early on.
“We’ve got to be better. Whoever puts the jersey on has to front and we weren’t good enough.”
The Wallabies were on level terms for less than 60 seconds, as winger Juan Imhoff seized on a mix-up between Jordan Petaia and Tom Wright and raced away for an easy try.
That gave the hosts a massive confidence boost and they rode the wave, crossing again through prop Thomas Gallo in the sixth minute after a missed tackle by Taniela Tupou. The Australians were unable to match the Argentina power – “brutal, brutal play,” was Morgan Turinui’s assessment in the commentary.
Wallabies captain James Slipper, finishing off after a superb burst by Rob Valetini, cut the margin in the 12th minute as the frantic start to the match continued while James O’Connor knocked over a penalty to bring the margin to four.
(Photo by Rodrigo Valle/Getty Images)
Australia thought they had hit the front on 20 minutes when O’Connor raced over after exchanging some slick passes with Petaia but referee Karl Dickson, after consulting the TMO, ruled that James Slipper had infringed in the prior cleanout. “Absurd,” was Andrew Mehrtens’ verdict on the decision, and there’s no doubt it shifted the game’s narrative significantly.
“Massive momentum swing,” said ex-Wallaby Matt Toomua on the Stan Sport halftime show.
“It’s great lines, great rugby, inside ball and it’s a technicality that we get pulled up on.”
Rennie also questioned the decision.
“They talked about legs above the horizontal. Fraser cleaned out and then Slips has grabbed him around the waist and pulled him out and his legs go up in the air.
“It was just the way they saw it. That’s a pretty important call – at the time it would have put us in front. But you’ve got to take that. We created opportunities that if you nail you stay in the game, and can build some pressure, but we couldn’t buy a trick, especially second half.”
Argentina refused to be rattled by the close call and roared back with tries to Jerónimo de la Fuente and Juan Martín González for a 26-10 lead.
Argentina could have gone into the sheds even further ahead, only for Marika Koroibete to produce a stunning try-saving tackle on his own tryline.
Despite Koroibete’s intervention, it was an almost perfect half from Cheika’s team after Australia changed up their tactics from the loss a week ago in Mendoza.
“What we found interesting is they changed kick plan, they’ve gone into contestable kicks, and they put us under a lot of pressure there,” said Wallaby Jake Gordon at the break.
“What we noticed against Scotland, and last week, they seem to kick a lot of pill quite long. And what they’ve done today is they’ve kicked a lot off nine and they made it contestable.
“We need to check the runners coming through and let our catchers get a clean catch because at the moment, it’s very highly contested and they’re getting tap backs.”
“Perfect game plan and it’s perfectly executed by Argentina thus far,” said Turinui. “They had 13 kicks in the first half and a total of 15 the whole game last week and the contestable stuff has been brilliant.”
Toomua added: “It’s about a mental battle and it’s about staying in that fight and Cheik’s kicking game has really rewarded Argentina, just making it a scrappy game making it a couple of phases, turnover try, it’s a masterclass. They’re playing to a script.”
The Wallabies needed a bright start to the second half and they came close through Petaia, who got across the tryline after another Valetini surge but had the ball stripped out before he could place it down.
Another visit deep into the Argentine 22 on 48 minutes resulted in a turnover by the hosts, who held their nerve and were able to extend their lead through Emiliano Boffelli’s 53rd minute penalty and then a second try to Gallo, which also saw Fraser McReight yellow carded.
Dave Rennie rang the changes, including debuts for Pone Fa’amausili and Billy Pollard, and on 67 minutes Len Ikitau was able to cross after some poor defending.
The Wallabies kept pressing but instead it was Los Pumas who iced the match with two late tries.
“Tactically outplayed, outplayed on effort areas, every little moment of the game,” said Turinui. “Michael Cheika has found a real recipe for success.”
Slipper said: “We’re clearly disappointed off the back of a good performance last weekend – we really wanted to back it up. Probably fell short of standards today.
“I thought the Argentinians were pretty good at it, and they got the momentum. They’re a tough team to play catch up footy against. Full credit to them, they were tough.”
Rennie and Slipper later fronted a small media conference in San Juan, where they both bemoaned a lack of clinical play.
“They scored four tries with kicks – two in behind us and two in the air – so we didn’t do a good enough job around that. We created plenty of opportunities and weren’t clinical enough or lacked a little bit of patience,” said Rennie.
“They were very good. They scrambled pretty well. And they were a handful when they had ball in hand.”
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
That Puma team has been together for quite some time and they each know their role. In adition they kow how to put up a contestable kick and contest for possession. The Wallabies look like a barbarian team selected at short notice by hmmmm...Barnaby Joyce? Not one of them understand what a contestable kick is. If a Wallaby kick was contested on the weekend; it was a fluke.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
yep my bad, i read your question wrong instead listing blokes who i'd get to STOP the rot DOH
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Chekko obviously picked the brains of the Stan pundits . They know everything. A lot of past failures and untried geniuses mentioned here . These comments should come with a warning about excess use of alcohol and the affects of head knocks on old players. The players we really missed we’re Alaatoa , Faingaa , Phillip , Cooper , Paisami , Banks , Samu for 60 minutes and a big mobile 7 , Samu ! The answer doesn’t lie with the past Hooper , Hodge , Foley , Beale , JOC . Nor the as far as we have seen so far Edmed , Donaldson , McReight and co. It will lie with Lolisio , McDermott , Campbell, Fines , Nawaqua and one of the 10s
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I believe next year. Big fan of him too
AKAJorrieKruger
Roar Rookie
I really like Eloff, I wonder when he will qualify to play for the Wallabies?
AKAJorrieKruger
Roar Rookie
Director of rugby means you pretend to be in charge but are not held accountable and won’t get fired for poor results. It’s a result of rugby being run like a company, the CEO gets to throw other people under the bus and eventually walks off with a fat million $ handshake…
AKAJorrieKruger
Roar Rookie
In the modern era, if one team is having a good day and the other a bad day, it can get ugly real quick. Wallabies need to keep building depth, it’s at least 1 positive from this tour and horrible run of injuries… Pumas really played well, can’t wait to see them tour…
Tom Thumb
Roar Rookie
Local coaches useless? Who won Australia's 2 world Cups? DC is saving Waratahs from years of poor nz Coaching. Tahs won Super Rugby with an Aussie coach, Reds won Super Rugby with an Aussie Coach, as did Brumbies Dont let facts get in the way of a good story though right
Tom Thumb
Roar Rookie
Maybe he would be if his coach backed him a bit. Look at Mounga, it can take some time to figure it out at test level
Tom Thumb
Roar Rookie
Dont worry, Rennie is plaaning on more running at training, and looking to see if he can get 2 hookers concussed in the same week. Master Coach I tell you!
Beefa
Guest
You forgot to add the horrible games from the 12 Foketi and the lacklustre no mongrel number 6 Holloway. Why on earth would you pick a slow no mongrel blindside flanker like Holloway. They are supposed to be hard hitting abrasive dominant tacklers. Holloway is 118 kilos but he plays like he is 95 kilos.Need someone else, as he is not it.
SLOWFOX7
Roar Rookie
I admire the comments of various experts in tactica and rugby strategies. Sincerely. I am not that qualified to suggest hoy the Coaches should plan their games and what players to select, or where to place them. I know nothing technically, but I have a sense of the game, of what I enjoy in any team. As an Argentinian, I want to express what it means to us when we overcome a better historical national team or club side: unlike these nations, deservedly used to victories over the best teams for decades, for us it is an extremely powerful feeling of joy, such as the traditional inderdog beating one of the "big boys", such as David downing Goliath. It is really intense, and that leads to excessive triumphalism, very latin passion. Some of us become arrogant and ofensive. I dislike both attitudes, deeply, like most of my countrymen. Please forgive us. On the other hand, some followers of the "big boys" teams are just as bad, very uppity, or worse, patronizing.... It should not be that way, at all. We have all been brought up within the values of rugby. Let us observe them, and excersise them. That is what Rugby is all about!
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Yes Brief. When I imagine the Rebels taking Egon Seconds out of the game a few years ago in SA. my mind goes to some semi legal places. :happy:
Chris
Guest
Stop making excuses Rennie, just fall on your sword and leave, you are not cut out for coaching at test level.
Frank
Guest
Its a perfect storm NA - no single thing. Lack of depth/rugby smarts following years of inattention to the grass roots. Loss of interest in rugby by the younger generation and contact sports generally + competition from AFL/NRL/Soccer. Head injury class actions in Eng resulting in law changes being overlaid on a contact sport with efficious refereeing the result (not limited to Aust). Poor quality administration seemingly without a clue in how to promote the game - even on a limited budget. Sadly I'm not surprised at the outcome. Unfortunately many fans lived through the golden years of Wallabies which makes the current malaise even harder. I havent missed a single Wallaby game since the mid 80's but sadly I think I'm done. The joy has gone. Good luck Roarers. Keep up the fight
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I recall. All the passes were OK though
cinque
Roar Rookie
Very similar to Beale & Foley (I think) vs England in 2015. Beale was playing wing that day.
LBJ
Roar Rookie
Sorry, To clarify my thoughts on this (for whatever that is worth...). What I am actually trying to articulate is the now realised frustration of watching really obvious mistakes being made by the previous administration (of which there were soooo many). They were convinced by nothing other than their own utter hubris that Rennie is a genius and that Cheika is a fool, and Rennie would simply waltz into the Wallabies and magically turn us into world cup winners despite having zero experience. It was foolish, unfair on Rennie, Cheika, the team and the rugby public - and the results are in front of us, and it doesn't change if the get marginally better from here. RA MUST stick with this coaching structure till the RWC23. They must throw every fibre if their support behind Rennie and the team - that was another lesson from previous administration mistakes...
T Bradley
Roar Rookie
Reds, sadly this only further highlights my point. It's crucial for the 8 to be able to break the gainline and he couldnt. England 8, Billy Vunipola was instrumental at this. Also, his number doesnt change the fact he gave away countless penalties and struggled with his cleanout
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
We’ll have to agree to disagree. Luckily I am right :happy: