Summary
That is all for tonight, and this Rugby Championship, from me. Thank you for your company throughout, it’s been terrific fun.
I’ll leave you with the first take match report, but stay tuned for more reaction.
Dave Rennie was understandably frustrated with the last 20-minutes but “proud of the win”.
“We’ve certainly made steps,” Rennie adds, when asked about the progression of the Wallabies from that nervy early-season series against France, through the All Blacks maulings, to four wins on the bounce.
The last 20 minutes were scrappy, and the timing of the substitutions wasn’t great, but that shouldn’t take anything away from the preceding hour during which the Wallabies moved the ball well, dominated the scrum, and executed their tactical game efficiently. Promising signs.
Full-time: Argentina 17-32 Australia
Credit to the Pumas for scrapping late on, but that was a very good performance from the Wallabies, and the Quade Cooper-led backline in particular. An excellent end to a promising Rugby Championship for Dave Rennie.
80+3 mins: Argentina keep attacking. The 5m lineout is good and the maul begins to gather force but Australia come in from the side and play is reset.
80+1 min: Argentina aren’t giving up. They have the final drive and Montoya pounds down the field, throwing a huge audacious dummy, lovely stuff. At the breakdown Michael Hooper is punished for deliberately slowing down play and he’s show a YELLOW CARD.
Updated
79 mins: The first blemish of the night for Australia’s scrum with Argentina winning their own feed with a penalty advantage.
78 mins: Another strong scrum for the Wallabies turns defensive territory into an attack that rumbles into Argentina’s half on the left wing. It falls apart quickly through with a dropped ball and some nimble scrambling defence.
76 mins: Australia regain some composure and build slowly down the left. The ball is spread across field and Hooper takes into contact on the right flank. Nine phases, ten, all slow and controlled, but now Bell with the loose carry and Argentina can clear. The Pumas try to kick their way into space but Kellaway does brilliantly from fullback, standing his ground as the chip and chase comes his way, then executing textbook technique at the ruck to win the penalty. He has had some night.
74 mins: As the game has become ragged Australia have lost their edge. It just goes to show the fine margins at this level. Also credit to the Pumas for fighting until the death.
TRY! Argentina 17-32 Australia (Gallo, 73)
5m lineout for the Pumas, it’s beautifully executed with the ball quickly into the hands of the one-out runner on the burst. Hooper does well with the first tackle but the ball is recycled quickly and Argentina have stacks of momentum. The Pumas are soon at the line and there’s a mass of bodies. Nobody has any idea what’s happened, but there’s a whistle and a hand in the air - try time! The TMO is soon involved for a full review. It’s hard to figure out what on earth is going on, so the on-field call stands.
Boffelli hustles the conversion over and Argentina have made the scoreboard look much less damaging.
71 mins: Attacking lineout for Argentina. It’s safe, but slow, and it takes five phases to move it from one side of the 22 to the other, 10m inside the touchline on the left wing. There’s a penalty advantage on the play but the Pumas don’t gamble and everyone takes a little breather.
70 mins: Now Fainga’a is down, and it’s all getting very messy as the clock ticks towards full-time.
69 mins: Petaia has gone off eventually, which means Lonergan has to come on, so there are two hookers in gold on the field at the same time!
67 mins: Argentina’s lineout isn’t straight, so the Pumas cannot maintain their momentum, Hooper calls for a scrum and the game powers down briefly. From the set-piece the Wallabies earn a penalty advantage. Australia’s scrum has been flawless tonight.
66 mins: Petaia is down with cramp or a strain in his right leg, and if he’s donw for the night it will cause some headaches for Dave Rennie with no more backs on the bench.
65 mins: 38-year-old Greg Holmes is out there now, but he’s not involved as Hooper is penalised for entering the ruck incorrectly. Argentina again clear downfield to the left corner ready to mount another attack.
TRY! Argentina 10-32 Australia (Gallo, 63)
There’s an obstruction call against the Wallabies as O’Connor secures a massive up-and-under and it allows the Pumas to kick to the left corner for a rare attacking opportunity. The ball off the lineout is quick and immediately sent infield where Boffelli hits the line hard and creates excellent go-forward. The ball is recycled quickly, the momentum builds, and Gallo busts through the try-line defence for a consolation score.
Boffelli can’t miss from under the crossbar.
TRY! Argentina 3-32 Australia (Kellaway, 58)
Another brilliant training ground set-play move. And another try for Andrew Kellaway, his first hat-trick for the Wallabies. The lineout is fast, Fainga’a runs around the back from the right and the passing is crisp to the left. Cooper is again pivotal at five eighth, feeding Ikitau who draws contact and offloads creatively for the rampaging Kellaway to do what he does best. Australia’s backs haven’t looked this dangerous in many a year.
Despite the decisive scoreline it should be even more punishing but Cooper has erred repeatedly with his boot, and he fails again with the conversion opportunity.
58 mins: This is now a free-hit final quarter for the Wallabies. Sean McMahon is on the field, the ball is being run at every opportunity, and the Pumas are groggy.
TRY! Argentina 3-27 Australia (Kellaway, 54)
Kellaway just scores tries, doesn’t he? After a couple of multi-phase plays from one side of the field to the other from Australia, Argentina ‘s defence looks tired and ragged. A weak clearing kick is run straight back and it’s nothing flash from the ruck, Cooper sending the ball left to Valetini who times his pass to Kellaway beautifully to hit his opposite centre on the outside while his winger is showing him the line. Terrific finishing.
Cooper makes a rare successful conversion. Australia rampant.
54 mins: More lovely hands from Australia’s backs with Cooper leading a deep line from left to right that ends yet again with Petaia isolated. There’s urgency to the Wallabies in midfield with Cooper in this mindset and a delicate kick turns the Pumas backwards and forces them to kick clear and invite another wave of running phases.
53 mins: Speaking of Kerevi, he’s done for the night with a sore knee. The benches are beginning to empty for the final half-hour of the championship.
52 mins: The Australian scrum has been rock solid all night. Off the back of the latest Kerevi busts a hole in the Argentina line, White pinches a few more metres, and now the phases build 10-15m from the line. Play shifts to the left and Hooper drives, then Philip as the Pumas defence rushes up and Tupou is caught napping and knocks on. Kerevi has continued his magnificent form tonight. He has transformed this backline since his return.
51 mins: Australia attack down the right this time, but it’s all a bit frantic, and not for the first time by the time the ball reaches Petaia there’s no room for him to work with and an ambitious flick pass fails to come off.
49 mins: Scrum-feed free-kick to Australia and it’s belted downfield, but run back with interest. Argentina make it to Australia’s 22 before there’s a turnover. Immediately the Wallabies counter at pace down the left wing. There’s a brilliant crossfield kick in midfield from Cooper, then Hooper is lively in the left-centre position. Kellaway chips and chases the bounce is awkward for Hodge who knocks on. Great imagination from the Wallabies. Cooper is enjoying himself as playmaker.
47 mins: Argentina secure their lineout throw and send the ball infield from the left. It’s very very slow through and at each breakdown there’s a conference before the ball is released. Eventually the Wallabies force the penalty. Good diligent defence from Australia.
46 mins: It’s a messy restart until Cooper takes the ball to the line with a jinking run that ends with a no-look bullet 20m pass out to Petaia on the right wing. Starved of space the youngster tries to kick and chase but ends up shanking out on the full.
TRY! Argentina 3-20 Australia (Kerevi, 44)
Australia’s attacking lineout is good and play is soon sent infield from the right at pace. The phases build up and play is returned to the right where there’s a huge overload, a set-play with runners flying at Cooper from all angles, he double-pumps, selects Kerevi, and the massive bull has a gap to bust through and score. Superb multi-phase attacking from Australia’s backs, and it ends with a try. Brilliant orchestrating from Cooper, and the right man in the right place at the end of it.
Cooper misses again off the tee. Not his night with the boot.
42 mins: An early error from the boot of Quade Cooper, the five-eighth overcooking a crossfield kick to Petaia and it’s out on the full. It matters little because Argentina execute sloppily following their attacking lineout and Hodge can boot the Wallabies downfield.
41 mins: Back underway on the Gold Coast with Australia searching for their fourth win a row in the Rugby Championship for the first time.
Half-time: Argentina 3-15 Australia
Routine so far from the Wallabies. Not a whole heap to get excited about.
Updated
Penalty! Argentina 3-15 Australia (Boffelli, 40+2)
Boffelli’s had enough, he wants a cup of tea. No more kicking to the corner and the Pumas are on the board.
40 mins: Another secure lineout, an even maul, the siren sounds, and Argentina try to send the ball infield. They don’t get far before Tupou nails a Puma at the breakdown, slowing the drive down. Another penalty advantage called, Argentina chip and chase, but there’s nothing doing and play is called back to the penalty. This time Michael Hooper is spoken to, but there’s no card offered.
39 mins: Another safe throw, but Australia counter-maul brilliantly, driving the Pumas to the touchline. Somehow the ball is recycled and moved infield where the tight five get to work with successive concussive burrowing drives. It’s pitched battle on Australia’s line in the right corner, and there’s soon an advantage on the play for an offside. Argentina are camped within inches of a score, but the Wallabies hold on long enough for play to return to the penalty and we go through the whole process once again...
38 mins: The penalty is kicked to the corner and Argentina secure lineout ball but they can’t get a maul rolling. There’s a penalty against Australia for the counter-maul and the Pumas kick back to the corner and we go again.
36 mins: The TMO is having a look at the aerial contest following Argentina’s restart. The outcome is a penalty against Hodge for dangerous play by entering the contest with no realistic chance of taking the mark and causing the Puma jumper to land awkwardly.
Tomas Lavanini returns to the fray.
TRY! Argentina 0-15 Australia (Kellaway, 34)
Lovely set-piece try. From the lineout Fainga’a runs around his throw to receive the offload and hand inside to the storming Valetini who makes the game’s first decisive line break. He munches metres until inviting the try-scoring machine Kellaway to dive next to the posts. Excellent training ground move.
Cooper cannot miss from point-blank range. Wallabies cruising.
33 mins: Australia get creative through White, Valetini and Hodge down the left, but it’s all bit chaotic. There’s a penalty advantage so Cooper floats a massive cutout pass to Kerevi, but the Pumas infringe and play is called back for a penalty that is belted deep into Argentinian territory.
31 mins: Hooper is penalised at the clean-out after Argentina try to run the ball into Australia’s half. Carreras kicks to the 22 and the 14-man Pumas have decent attacking territory for the first time. It doesn’t last long though because off the lineout it takes only a couple of phases before a knock-on. This match will not sell by the truckload on DVD, if one is ever minted.
29 mins: Cooper misses another kick to the left.
TRY! Argentina 0-8 Australia (Fainga'a, 28)
From the resulting 5m lineout Australia form a maul, Argentina do well to stymie any momentum, but Fainga’a is alert to pinch the ball off the back and dart over the unguarded line. Clever from the Australian hooker.
Yellow card! (Lavanini, 27)
“Three in a row” is the referee’s determination against the Argentina lock’s dangerous behaviour in the lineout. He gets ten minutes in the bin.
26 mins: From the lineout Australia get quick ball and Cooper tries to turn Argentina around, kicking crossfield for the run of Petaia on the right wing. The youngster is scragged and play is called back for an earlier penalty. That is again kicked to the left corner, and this time the lineout ends with a whistle Australia’s way.
25 mins: Argentina steal on their own line and kick clear. Hmmm.
25 mins: The attacking lineout isn’t clean but that’s because of an Argentinian infringement at the set-piece. Hodge kicks to the left corner for a 5m lineout.
24 mins: Argentina’s scrum is reset, and it barely looks stable before the front row collapses like a house of cards. The second scrum penalty for the Wallabies against the head.
22 mins: Australia’s first scrum feed of the night is just inside their own half and White darts off the back but the resulting combination is out of time and between Ikitau and Cooper there’s a knock-on. This has been a match short of continuity.
20 mins: Australia get the ball back and set to work with some patient multi-phase play in Argentina’s half. Cooper is to the force once again, marshalling his troops left and right. The Pumas are strong and resist some decent bursts from Slipper and Samu, and eventually earn a breakdown penalty to change the momentum.
18 mins: Scrappy play from both sides in midfield. First Argentina fail to ruck after Hooper nails Mallia in a tackle after the fullback marks a bomb, then Tupou passes to nobody on his outside with the Wallabies in good field position.
17 mins: From the drop out Carreras goes immediately for the long range drop-goal, but he tugs his effort wide.
16 mins: It’s a good throw this time and a terrific maul forms that rumbles 10m downfield deep into Australia’s half. A couple of phases off the back result before Carreras sends through a dangerous end-over-end kick that Hodge is happy to defuse for a line drop-out.
14 mins: Australia pilfer Argentina’s lineout now as the set-pieces fall apart for both sides. Cue another kicking exchange that ends with Cooper finding touch with a delicate crossfield dab. The Wallabies haven’t kicked as much as this all season, maybe they’ve been watching the Sprinboks too much? It comes back to bite them when Hodge overcooks his boot and Argentina have a lineout throw in Australian territory.
12 mins: Quick lineout ball for the Pumas just inside Australia’s half. The field opens up on the left and Mallia joins the attack. Everything gets a bit too narrow and the Wallabies bundle the ball carrier into touch. Australia’s first lineout throw is not straight.
Penalty! Argentina 0-3 Australia (Cooper, 10)
Second time lucky for the Wallaby No 10. Australia in front off the back of a superb scrum.
9 mins: Australia monster Argentina with the first scrum of the day. That was seriously impressive. The scrum penalty is under the posts and surely the scoreboard gets moving now.
8 mins: Argentina make a mess of a high ball after the restart and Australia can build on halfway. Valetini bundles his way over the gainline, Cooper is busy going through the combinations in midfield, and the Wallabies are mounting a nice attack - until Tupou can’t hold onto a sharp inside ball on the burst from Cooper and everything grinds to a halt. Encouraging signs with ball in hand from Australia.
6 mins: Quade Cooper also makes a mess of his penalty. Kicking conditions are perfect but both efforts early on have been rubbish.
5 mins: More end-to-end kicking, this time enlivened by Petaia taking the ball dangerously into the line and offloading to the right wing where there’s a penalty at the breakdown. Australia’s turn to get the scoreboard moving.
3 mins: Boffelli took an age over his shot at goal and ended up dragging it poorly to the left.
2 mins: An early kicking exchange is highlighted by Cooper’s superb contested mark in traffic, but it’s Argentina who have the first bash with ball in hand. It soon earns them a penalty advantage just over halfway on the left wing for a dangerous tackle, and an early kicking opportunity.
Kick-off!
The final 80 minutes of Australia’s Rugby Championship is underway...
And her come the Pumas in their stylish powder blue and white hoops. I bloody love this kit.
As the nominal visiting team Australia run out first. They’re in their familiar gold jersey with green trim this week, avoiding the unnecessary kit clash we witnessed last time out.
¡Últimos movimientos! ¡Faltan minutos para el partido!#ZurichRugbyChampionship #VamosLosPumas #VamosArgentina pic.twitter.com/cmVzu7DvwN
— Los Pumas (@lospumas) October 2, 2021
Lachie Swinton has had a quick word with Australian TV, during which he mentioned the sweaty ball is going to be an issue in these hot, muggy conditions.
After two days of violent thunderstorms it is hot, sunny, and dry on the Gold Coast. A westerly breeze will need to be taken into account, but it is secondary to the 28C temperatures in terms of environmental factors to be considered by team strategists.
Bret Harris is pleased the Wallabies are back to winning ways but concerned they may be over-reliant one mode of attack.
Would they have won three Tests in a row for the first time since 2017 without the return of block-busting inside centre Samu Kerevi? Not since the All Blacks decided to “give the ball to Jonah” at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa has an international side relied so heavily on one player.
Wallabies XV
Dave Rennie has freshened up his final Wallabies squad of this Rugby Championship. Into the second-row comes Darcy Swain, with Matt Philip dropping to the bench, while in the back row Pete Samu starts ahead of Rob Leota. There’s one change in the backs caused by Marika Koroibete’s return to Melbourne which means Andrew Kellaway shifts to the left wing and Jordan Petaia slots in on the right.
There’s a bunch of new faces on the bench, including Sean McMahon, who will make his first Test appearance since November 2017, and Greg Holmes, who at 38 will equal the record for the oldest player to play for the Wallabies since the War.
📄 One last team sheet!
— Wallabies (@wallabies) October 2, 2021
🗓 This Sat 2 Oct 5:05pm AEST
📺 @StanSportAU & @9Gem #TRC2021 #Wallabies #ARGvAUS @eToro @CadburyAU pic.twitter.com/cpLSsrzPNh
Pumas XV
Mario Ledesma has made only minimal changes to the side that lost last time out, despite the absence of six players, including star forward Pablo Matera, following the incursion into New South Wales.
Estos son los 23 convocados para el último partido del #ZurichRugbyChampionship ante @wallabies.
— Los Pumas (@lospumas) September 30, 2021
¿Ya agendaste el encuentro? Este sábado 2/10 a las 4:05 h (argentina) y lo podés ver en vivo por ESPN. #VamosLosPumas #VamosArgentina pic.twitter.com/i5vKNcZt3a
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Argentina v Australia from Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast. It’s the final round of this year’s Rugby Championship and kick-off is at 5.05pm AEST.
It’s been a funny old week in the Rugby Championship. Last weekend Australia made it a hat-trick of wins on the bounce for the first time in four years, against a toothless Argentina outfit.
But afterwards Pumas coach Mario Ledesma gave SANZAAR what for after nobody from the Albiceleste was represented at a competition photoshoot. “The boys and staff felt really disrespected,” Ledesma grumbled. “We’re not asking for much.”
Relationships deteriorated further when a group of Argentina’s tour party were denied reentry to Queensland after taking an unauthorised trip to Byron Bay - or as the Queensland government would view it, Covid-central. Six players and two staff - Sebastián Cancelliere, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Felipe Ezcurra, Pablo Matera, Santiago Medrano and Santiago Socino, along with manager Lucas Chioccarelli and video analyst Rodrigo Martínez - are now banned from tonight’s clash.
But the show must go on, so despite a week of acrimony and disruption, Argentina and Australia will complete their Rugby Championship schedule.
I’ll be back with more shortly, but if you would like to join in, you can reach me by email or Twitter (@JPHowcroft).
