So what to make of that? Those two late tries makes it look easier than it was for the Wallabies who struggled for fluidity in what was not the kind of rugby game you’d show a non-believer you were trying to convert.
Argentina offered next to nothing in attack and never looked like scoring. The Wallabies gave away too many penalties and they failed to take advantage, early on at least, of a wealth of possession. They broke the line on a number of occasions but lost their way thereafter. The scrum held up okay, but goal-kicking is a worry, too. Foley kicked 1 from 4 conversions, and 4 from 5 penalties. Nor was Australia’s kicking in play all that flash.
Yet for all that, the Wallabies have come away with a win and a bonus point and now they’ll face the All Blacks in Sydney with the winner to claim the 2015 Rugby Championship. They’ll happily take that.
Thanks for reading and come back soon. Cheers.
Full-time: Argentina 9-34 Australia
What an end to the game, two tries in two minutes!
Try! Argentina 9-34 Australia (Ashley-Cooper 80)
Incredibly, yes! Shortly after the kick-off Folau carves through the Pumas’ midfield. He then finds Beale who puts Ashley-Cooper into space. The winger slips out of a cover tackle and dives over to secure the Wallabies a bonus point.
Foley misses from wide out.
Conversion! Argentina 9-29 (Foley 79)
Over! Time for another try and a bonus point?
Try! Argentina 9-27 Australia (Kuridrani 78)
The Wallabies win a scrum and start rolling the ball ever closer to the Pumas line. It comes out the back, surprising Hooper, but he picks it up, spins it left, and a lovely offload from Foley finds Kuridrani who strolls over.
Updated
76 min: Scrum penalty to Australia from 45m out right in front. Given the game situation, Foley declines the kick for goal and finds touch 5m out.
76 min: Adam Ashley-Cooper spills a ball with space ahead of him. He’s barely touched the ball tonight, so clearly out of practice.
74 min: Big hit from Skelton, who T-bones his opposite number from the blindside. Can the Pumas score two converted tries to win? From the little they’ve shown in attack, no. This game is petering out. And it hasn’t been great, to be honest.
73 min: Line-out to Australia 10m inside Pumas territory. Carizza steals.
Penalty goal! Argentina 9-22 (Foley 69)
He’s missed another... no he hasn’t! Did he mean that? Foley’s kick from 10m inside the left touchline starts left. But mid flight, as if Michael Cheika has remote control over the ball from the stands, it veers right. Enough to sneak inside the left post. I can’t tell if that was an awful kick or not.
68 min: Penalty to Australia after Argentina obstruct Wallaby runners trying to follow through a Phipps over-the-shoulder snap kick.
67 min: Instead of taking the penalty shot Argentina kick for touch to set up a try-scoring opportunity. But Skelton leaps to steal their line-out ball.
67 min: Yellow card —and 10 in the bin— to Quade Cooper for a high tackle. It wasn’t delivered with malice but it was clearly naughty. So we have 15 v 14 with 14 to go.
66 min: Seven phases of side to side rugby takes it toll on Landajo who puts up a midfield up-and-under, a concession of defeat.
64 min: Line-out to Argentina on the halfway line and they pass the ball from the right flank and back to the left as they go in search of a much needed five-pointer. Lots of lateral movement from Argentina today, but very little forward.
61 min: Foley misses the conversion attempt from the right sideline. That try should settle the Wallabies what with it giving them some breathing room. Can they come home strongly now and show signs that they’ll be more than just speed bumps when they take on the All Blacks in two weeks time?
‘Hey Dean Mumm, some critics are on the phone..’ #ARGvAUS pic.twitter.com/v1ctoTbJGU
— Steve Lenthall (@steve_l15) July 26, 2015
Updated
Try! Argentina 9-19 Australia (Mumm 59)
Actually, scrap that, they will have to score a try because Australia have scored just after the restart!
The Aussies won the ball, shuffled it right and Hooper threw a questionable pass to replacement Dean Mumm standing on the right wing. From 22m out he bumped through three tackles and carried a knot of Pumas over the line. Hard to see whether he got the ball down but the try is awarded!
Updated
Penalty goal! Argentina 9-14 Australia (Sanchez 58)
And he nails it easily. Argentina haven’t come close to scoring a try but if the Wallabies continue to concede kickable penalties they may not have to.
57 min: Australia concede a penalty, leaving their feet in a ruck. Sanchez will have a shot from 39m out, just to the left.
55 min: Hooper gets his shoulder into the midriff of a Puma and drives him backwards 5 m. He then backs up on the right to get in an attacking move. The wonder of fresh legs.
Penalty goal! Argentina 6-14 Australia (Foley 53)
From right of the posts he makes no mistake. After those earlier can-kickers, he certainly hit that one well.
52 min: Imhoff knocks-on in midfield and then Argentina get pinged for not rolling away. Will Foley go for a shot from 40m out? He will.
50 min: Pocock is bundled into touch 5m out after a great winger’s run down the right flank. Showed some toe there.
48 min: Hooper is on for McCalman.
47 min: Argentina put together some phases in the Aussie half, creeping over the 22m, but there’s a turnover penalty to Australia. Simmons emerges from the pile of bodies gingerly, questioning his choices in life.
44 min: Some beautiful stepping from Folau on the left leaves Camacho grasping at air. Australia shift the ball to the right and Cooper, doubling around Foley, flings an ugly left-to-right pass to the boots of his centre. Knock-on. Another wasted opportunity.
Penalty goal! Argentina 6-11 Australia (Foley 42)
Blimey, he nearly missed that, shanking the ball! The touchies had to look at each other as if to say, He did get that didn’t he? There’s be some upright paint on the ball I’d say.
Peeep!
Foley gets us going with a deep drop-out from which, after three phases, the Wallabies win a turn over. Cooper slips a short ball to a charging Kuridrani who gets to 5m out before a loose Argentinian hand gives away a gift penalty to Australia right in front, 10m out.
What are the rules on reheating a luke warm cup of tea in a microwave? Forget it, I know the answer, but there’s no time for rule following here. I used to mock my dad for reheating tea and coffee in the microwave and look at me now.
Don’t forget, there are operators standing by waiting for your emails: paul.connolly@theguardian.com.
Half-time news: Slipper has failed a concussion test (as has Toomua), with Sio to remain on in his place. And the possession came close to evening up, ending up 52%-48% in favour of Australia.
The teams are heading back on...
Half-time: Argentina 6-8 Wallabies
Well, an underwhelming half of rugby and the Wallabies have a lot of work to do. Since no-one thought to bring me my toast I’ll just have to do it myself. Back in a tick.
Penalty goal! Argentina 6-8 Australia (Sanchez 40)
And just before the hooter the Wallabies make a meal of the kick-off return, with Fardy caught not releasing. Penalty Argentina, 40m out and just to the left of the uprights.
Penalty goal! Argentina 3-8 Australia (Foley 39)
I missed what that penalty was for I’m afraid, but it allowed Foley a penalty attempt from almost the same spot he missed the last one. This time, however, he sneaks in inside the left upright.
38 min: Oh dear. Skelton bursts through the line like a sledgehammer through masonite and the Wallabies are lined up deep on the right. But Phipps spills the ball at Skelton’s feet after a boot knocked it out of his hands.
36 min: Pocock chains himself to Lavanini as if to a coal loader and he wins Australia a penalty. Australia find touch on the Argentina 22m.
32 min: He misses. The Wallabies don’t seem to have a lethal goal-kicker on their books. The World Cup is coming up this year, isn’t it? A worry.
31 min: A great show and go, and then a bumping run from Moore. The Wallabies recycle the ball for Cooper to skip past one and then attempt a grubber in behind the line. It rebounds off a Puma but we’re pulled up for a Wallabies penalty. It’s about 10m to the right of the posts, 22m out, and Foley should nail this.
Penalty goal! Argentina 3-5 Australia (Sanchez 30)
Never in doubt.
29 min: After a jinking run from Camacho, Argentina put together eight phases before they win a penalty in a kickable position. In front, 35m out...
27 min: Better from Cooper who finds touch on the half after a snap punt from close to his own line. Toomua, by the way, will not be returning, so Quade gets close to a full game to press his credentials.
26 min: Penalty to Argentina inside their own half. Australia not driving straight in the scrum.
25 min: The possession tally so far is 67%-33% Australia. We’re getting to the point where you can say five points is not enough considering that stat.
23 min: Australia win a penalty on the Argentina 22m (Landajo was all over Phipps like a wetsuit) and the referee has to separate players. Hold everything, the penalty has just been reversed. I believe because of an incident in that melee. Ill-discipline by the Wallabies has just spurned three certain points.
20 min: Argentina make a half break down the left wing through Imhoff, and they have the Wallabies scrambling but they turn it over after some good work by Pocock.
19 min: That try shows how dangerous the Wallabies can be in broken play. The conversion attempt, by the way, was hooked to the left by Foley, who made the last pass in the Tomane try.
Try! Argentina 0-5 Australia (Tomane 16)
Well that came from nothing! Sanchez put in a rather poor kick from inside his own 22m which landed in Folau’s lap 60m out. The flyer took off, veering left into open space, and once inside the Pumas’ 22m it took two passes to find Tomane on the flank and he ran unimpeded over the line.
Updated
15 min: As you’ve read, Cooper is on. For Toomua, who was groggy after that earlier incident. Rocks and diamonds, Cooper, but always entertaining to watch.
14 min: Audacious (failed) drop-goal attempt from Sanchez which came moments after Quade Cooper fielded a bomb and put in a mongrel of a clearing kick. Sanchez collected it, looked up and had a crack. Missed out to the right.
13 min: Scrum two is also taking an age... and eventually Slipper gives away a scrum penalty. So all that for nowt.
11 min: Some nice-offloading by Argentina but little progress is made and Australia dive on a loose ball winning the turnover.
9 min: Toomua is down (as play goes on) after his head collides with the shoulder of Socino in the act of tackling him. Argentina play on having earned an advantage call but we got back for the penalty. Argentina line-out on the Aussie 22m.
7 min: Some argy-bargy here after Sanchez leaps to claim a cross-field kick —which came after some strong set-up play by the men in gold. With Sanchez in the air Folau runs into the back of him like a texting driver, and Sanchez falls heavily. He was clearly hit while in the air. Penalty Argentina, which negates an advantage Australia had been given moments earlier.
6 min: The Aussies earn a line-out from 10m out after Argentina knock down a pass. It’s been a bright start from Australia. The pitch is dry apparently and they are trying to play fast rugby. You could argue they are stretching the ball a tad early but their intentions are clear.
3 min: First scrum (Aussies weigh 927kg to 900kg). Still first scrum. Waiting. Over 90 seconds now since it was first set. Still waiting. Players must be getting cold. Finally Foley gets it in and Toomua runs hard into the line before the Wallabies flirt with the left touchline but somehow stay in the field of play.
2 min: Good early hands from the Wallabies who are flinging it about with exuberance. From one side to another. And now Moore puts Holmes into a hole.
Peeeeep!
And Argentina get us underway, Ben McCalman taking a fine gully catch from the drop-out.
Well, well, well. Last year’s anthem singer Marcelo Zelada has been given the arse. His replacement in Juanjo Delgado who appears to be reading the lyrics to Advance Australia Fair off a teleprompter. He hardly hits it out of the park, and stumbles a few times, but he doesn’t get the Wallabies laughing. So that’s a fail for him I’m afraid.
The Argentinian anthem is a dog’s breakfast of an anthem but the players and the crowd get fired up about it.
Moments away now...
I can tell you Argentina won the toss and that the Wallabies have just trotted onto the pitch to a chorus of whistles. Not wolf whistles. Jeering kind of whistles. A subtle difference in sound but a vast difference in meaning.
And now Los Pumas enter the arena.
TV hype taken to confusing levels in a Fox Sports voice-over set to stirring music: “[The Wallabies] Not the most skilful team in the world. Not the fastest, not the biggest, not the strongest. If they can be the sum of all parts they won’t need to be any of that because they will be so much more.”
So if they can be the sum of all their less-than-excellent parts they’ll be better?
There’s some vision of the tele of the Wallabies practising their scrum, although it’s two sets of Aussie forwards pushing against each other. Are both sets thinking, “This is easy!” Is that possible?
Some stats, presented colourfully:
Week 2 of @SanzarTRC will also see @unionargentina host the @Wallabies and here is our Head to Head preview #ARGvAUS pic.twitter.com/l0gjeodTSX
— Fox Sports Lab (@FoxSportsLab) July 24, 2015
As we get a peak at the Wallabies warming up, I wonder whether the Aussie national anthem singer is currently sweating bullets.
Your @Qantas #Wallabies are out for their warm-up as the sun sets in Mendoza! What's your morning like back home?? pic.twitter.com/mIPNIwtnYx
— Wallabies (@Wallabies) July 25, 2015
Those teams in summary:
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has made seven changes, three due to injuries. On that front, out are half Will Genia, comeback centre Matt Giteau, and winger Rob Horne. In come, respectively, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua and Joe Tomane.
Other changes include Quade Cooper dropping out of the starting side for Bernard Foley. At tighthead prop, Sekope Kepu drops to the bench, his place taken by Greg Holmes. Also, David Pocock replaces flanker Michael Hooper and Ben McCalman will play at no. 8 ahead of Scott Higginbotham.
Kurtley Beale is on the bench and will win his 50th cap if he gets a call up.
Seven changes too for Daniel Hourcade’s Argentina, who were beaten 39-18 by the All Blacks in Christchurch last weekend. Out are injured fullback Joaquin Tuculet, right wing Horacio Agulla, centres Marcelo Bosch and Jeronimo de la Fuente, and scrum-half Tomas Cubelli. Replacing them are wingers Gonzalo Camacho and Juan Imhoff, centres Matias Moroni and Juan Pablo Socino and scrum-half Martin Landajo. Fly-half Nicolas Sanchez keeps his place despite having a Barry against New Zealand last week.
In the forwards, lock Tomas Lavanini and flanker Javier Ortega Desio replace Guido Petti Pagadizabal and Juan Manuel Leguizamon.
Phew. Some housekeeping, that.
Your teams for this morning’s fixture:
Argentina:
(15-1) Santiago Cordero; Gonzalo Camacho, Matías Moroni, Juan Pablo Socino, Juan Imhoff; Nicolas Sanchez, Martín Landajo; Facundo Isa, Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe, Javier Ortega Desio; Tomas Lavanini, Manuel Carizza; Ramiro Herrera, Agustín Creevy (c), Marcos Ayerza
Reserves: Santiago Iglesias Valdez, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Matías Díaz, Matías Alemanno, Leonardo Senatore, Tomas Cubelli, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino
Australia:
(15-1) Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Toomua, Joe Tomane; Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; Ben McCalman, David Pocock, Scott Fardy; Rob Simmons, Will Skelton; Greg Holmes, Stephen Moore (c), James Slipper.
Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio, Sekope Kepu, Dean Mumm, Michael Hooper, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale
I suppose you’d like some pictorial confirmation? Okay, I’m feeling generous this morning:
Argentina name their match day 23 to take on Australia in Mendoza #ARGvAUS http://t.co/J4F9DXhpAc pic.twitter.com/ZeXWlT1slv
— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) July 23, 2015
But wait! What’s this? Oh dear, Foley’s out!!!
Foley out! C: Fardy B: Toomua. #ARGvAUS pic.twitter.com/oNTW7LGX1V
— Wallabies (@Wallabies) July 25, 2015
I’ll pay that, Wallabies Twitter person.
Today’s match, which allows for Wallabies revenge, is part of round 2 (New Zealand just got home against South Africa hours ago) of what is an abbreviated Rugby Championship, on account of the World Cup in September. Given the vagaries of a draw that has only three rounds instead of six, it represents Australia’s best chance of winning their first title since 2011, what with them playing South Africa at home last week (and winning after the siren) and getting the All Blacks at home in two weeks.
As we all know, the All Blacks are exceedingly hard to beat anywhere but had that round 3 game been in New Zealand you’d give the Wallabies next to no chance. (What is it about the All Blacks? How do they just keep cranking out frighteningly good teams? Is there somewhere in Dunedin where they create these super beings, something like Saruman’s Urak-hai birthing unit in Lord of the Rings?)
But before we get to the All Blacks there is a tough Pumas outfit to overcome today; an outfit that are renowned scrummagers of high standing, as opposed to the Wallabies who have endured struggles with their scrum for so long now I’ve actually forgotten when they were any good in that department.
Since rugby union isn’t my first language, perhaps someone out there with more expertise than me (like that dog sitting on the end of your bed) can explain why the Wallabies continue to fall short in the scrum when their problems were identified long ago. What’s going on? Are Aussies too flash harry to worry about the grunt stuff? Has the running rugby mantra destroyed our willingness, or at least our ability, to roll the sleeves up? Don’t tell me we play in Dunlop Volleys. Sure, they were good for ‘Newc’ back in the day, but without studs they don’t have a lot of grip on dewy grass.
Answers, and your musings on any other subjects (like, where’s my tea and breakfast? What’s for yours?), are welcome: paul.connolly@theguardian.com.
Preamble
Good morning. Kettle on? Yes please. Tea. White with none. Cheers. And some toast if you’re feeling generous. Don’t suppose you’ve got sourdough? And Vegemite? Lovely. Happy to wait.
And while I do —tick, tock, tick, tock— it behoves me to get the formalities out of the way. So … I’m here to live blog the Wallabies’ Test match against Argentina from Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza (kick-off 8.40am). Mendoza: sounds like the name of a drug lord in an ’80s action movie but is, by all reports, a lovely town at the foot of the Andes.
The Wallabies, however, won’t have happy memories of their last visit nine months ago. After their preparations for the game were derailed by the so-called “Di Patston saga”, the Wallabies were then disarmed by tenor Marcelo Zelada’s slaughtering of Advance Australia Fair. Though it’s an anthem that is, to be fair, half dead already, Zelada’s unintentionally comic rendition cracked the Aussies up. And if there’s one thing you don’t want to be doing when you’re about to stick your head anywhere near Argentina’s tight five it’s laughing.
Things got worse once the game started. Apart from a few incidents of crowd stupidity, when “laser beams” were shone into the eyes of some Wallabies players, there was also the matter of Los Pumas being primed for battle. The outcome? A 21-17 win for Argentina.
How’s that tea coming along?
Paul with be along shortly. In the meantime, here’s Toulon’s owner on Quade Cooper’s apparent u-turn on his deal to play in France. Mourad Boudjellal is shirty.
If Cooper doesn’t come, the compensation will be in millions of euros. He was our first choice. The damage to our image is significant. He took a photo with us, we centred our season ticket campaign around him, his jersey is on sale. What’s more, we passed on other fly-halves to get him.
Read the full story here.
