Summary
And so, a quintessential “game of two halves”, in which the Pumas ran riot, playing with verve and brio, running hard and straight at the line.
If it feels almost impossible to remember, please revisit that second minute try to Matera – one as good as any you’d see anywhere in world rugby. They were fast out of the blocks, accruing 14 points inside five minutes, but even up until 35 minutes or so, it was almost all Pumas.
But like the boy that flew too close to the sun, as they emerged after the break, Argentina, their wax wings had melted. A record opening half score against a (allegedly) top-tier nation; but was it mental, or was it fatigue that then set in?
Australia for their part copped an absolute spray in the sheds; Michael Cheika thumping the chest, and you can imagine the word “passion” probably featured prominently, after what had turned into a frankly abject showing across the first stanza.
But it took individual determination to turn it about; a fortuitous charge down from Isaac Rodda; a slice of luck as the ball fell kindly to Hooper, and Australia had a glimmer of hope.
Hooper and Pocock finding themselves with timely contributions, as they have so often across the years, to inspire the Wallabies at key moments. And a front row shuffle from Cheika; did that have a pivotal effect?
With confidence flowing again, so too were the points. a 38-point second half from the visitors and in the end, a memorable victory.
What will this mean for Michael Cheika? Will the focus be on the positives from the second half? Or will the lingering clouds from the first half remain?
Either way, a curious game of rugby, that was certainly highly entertaining, for home fans, for away fans and for the neutral most of all.
Thanks for your company! Another remarkable evening/morning of rugby union.
I don’t know the Spanish for Jekyll and Hyde, but spare a thought for Mario Ledesma and his coaching staff.
They’ve scarcely put a foot wrong, his chargers, across an explosive first 40, and from the very get-go they had the Wallabies on the ropes, flying to a 31-7 half-time lead.
This wasn’t about the Wallabies being awful (although, it was increasingly looking that way as morale seeped away), it was about the Pumas being extremely impressive.
Was it the loss of Sanchez to injury? Was it the pure fortune of Rodda’s charge-down try early in the second half? Or did they just go too hard, too early, the Pumas?
How do you account for that stunning reversal? Let us know your thoughts.
Wowee. How to even begin with that one.
Australian rugby fans; how do you feel? Relieved at the turnaround? Depressed that with the remarkable comeback, pressure might be relieved on Michael Cheika?
Full-time: Argentina 34-45 Australia
The hooter sounds, and they set down one final scrum, Australia. Phipps plays to Foley, who duly kicks into touch, and a bizarre game concludes in mundane fashion!
They’ve turned it around, Australia, and it’s the Pumas who finish with the Rugby Championship wooden spoon.
Updated
79 min: Toomua, freshly into the action, with a strong clearing kick, and it’s another handling error as the Pumas try to attack the line.
A shadow of what we saw from the first half, a shame, because over that first 30-35 minutes it wouldn’t be too much to imagine that they’d have pushed the All Blacks, the way they were playing, Argentina.
78 min: Ach. A good flowing attack, but it’s ball-to-ground as Orlando grasses a difficult one from a teammate. Australia are in absolutely no hurry to set down this scrum. They’re milling around like Brown’s cows out there.
Sin bin! (Latu)
78 min: In the terminology of the nightclub bouncer, it’s an “open handed move on” from Latu, who strikes a player on the ground and Jaco Peyper has no option but to yellow card the front rower.
The crowd comes back to life; surely they can’t snatch this one from here, can they?
76 min: Australia now playing with confidence as they swing the passes round the back; replacement half Nick Phipps now directing traffic like a confidence player with his tail up.
A bit of a blue in back play, and we’re pause to check the video. It could be Latu in trouble for swinging a punch.
Penalty! Argentina 34-45 Australia
74 min: No mistake from Foley, who marks his return to the side with a consummate performance from the boot. It hooked viciously late on, but it just creeps through the sticks.
72 min: Hannigan again with the lineout catch, I don’t remember that being such a common play, but he’s claimed at least three tonight.
Now a penalty for Australia, and after some deliberation, they elect to take a shot at the posts.
70 min: And now a mistake from the boot for the home side, and it’s Australia packing down a scrum just inside their own half.
He effectively replaced the entire front row at half-time, Cheika. Was that a spark? Was it the inspirational words?
Don’t forget, it took one hell of a chancey try to spark this run; but sometimes that’s all it takes to turn a negative mentality around.
And now a second ball kicked straight into touch by the Argentines. They’ve definitely got the wobbles badly here.
68 min: Ay, ay, ay. What to make of this one, if you’re a Pumas fan.
They hardly put a foot wrong over the first forty; did they burn through all their reserves too early? Did they get complacent, with that 24 point lead? Was electing for the penalty, rather than running it early in the second half a mental concession? Either way, they’re right under it at the moment.
Try! Argentina 34-42 Australia (Haylett-Petty)
65 min: Moroni with a try-saver! Folau with a terrific step, and he glides through the line, he finds Genia inside him and the fullback just cuts him down, but there’s no inside runner!
They recycle and Foley goes to the air – it’s a well-measured crossfield kick and the fullback batts it inside to Pocock, who shifts it straight back, and he’s over for his second in the corner, HP!
Great strike from Foley, and this remarkable scoring run continues!
Try! Argentina 34-35 Australia (Pocock)
63 min: Cometh the hour, cometh the man! He had about four bodies in light blue and white, but the man with the hinges of steel just showed that incredible core strength the muscle and barge his way over.
And would you believe that, they’re in front, the Wallabies!
62 min: Argentina on the back foot as they collect a kick inside their own goal and they struggle to recover back into the field of play. The Australian defence is strong, and they set down for a 5m scrum.
Crucial moment of the match, this.
Penalty! Argentina 34-28 Australia
Tidy again from Iglesias who adds the extras.
Can they regroup and build from here, the Pumas? They’re still inside a converted try though, Australia.
58 min: Cubelli comes on at No 9, maybe he can help reassert some control over this Pumas backline.
Coleman is penalised for swooping on a loose ball, but it’s adjudged to have not been free for collection. A pressure release, as Argentina look to add the three points.
56 min: Beale attacks with more intent; they push wide but Koroibete chances a pass and Hodge couldn’t reel it in.
Big push from Argentina at the scrum, and they’ve earned the penalty. Could that be a morale booster?
54 min: A scrum feed for Australia, just inside their 22m. What can Argentina find here. They need to arrest the rot that’s inexplicably crept into their game after an excellent opening half.
You could hear a pin drop inside this stadium; a dramatic contrast to the raucous noise we heard over the past hour or so.
Updated
Try! Argentina 31-28 Australia (Haylett-Petty)
52 min: My, oh my. You don’t want to resort to that hoary old chestnut “a game of two halves” but this has been utter Jekyll and Hyde stuff from the two sides.
Argentina didn’t put a foot wrong in that first 40; but inside 12 minutes into the second it’s been nothing but Australia.
Haylett-Petty ambling over in the corner after some simple catch-and-pass. And suddenly the Pumas are looking adrift!
Foley does well with the conversion.
Crazy game.
50 min: What a turnaround we have here – it really is a psychological old game, huh?
Now it’s Kepu, and Latu with strong metres up the guts. They’re attacking with verve, with brio! Where’s this been!
Try! Argentina 31-21 Australia (Folau)
Yikes! Not the start Mario Ledesma would have liked. They were fortunate for the first try, but this was good stuff from Australia.
Of all people it was Tolu Latu with a brilliantly weighted pass, and the winger Folau hit it brilliantly on an angled run and sliced through to score under the posts.
Dare we suggest; game on?!
47 min: Kurtley Beale now runs at the line, a good straight run, they’ve got a bit of wind in their sails and this is the most sustained attacking pressure the visitors have enjoyed.
They build the phases, that’s phase ten, perhaps for the first time all game. Folau charges onto one, here we go, here we go..
Try! Argentina 31-14 Australia (Rodda)
45 min: Wowee. Just when your luck looks well and truly out, manna from heaven! An entirely innocuous situation, Argentina win the lineout and look for the box kick. But the giant second rower raises the arms and charges down. It falls nicely for Hooper who passes back inside to Rodda, and they’re in under the posts, from absolutely nothing!
Foley adds the extra. Can they build from here, the Wallabies?
44 min: Ooph, that’s a coach killer. A decent backline move, and it’s Folau who steps inside; they’ve only got one pass to make, but he flings it straight into touch! Can’t find his outside man, and the chance goes.
42 min: The Wallabies with an attacking opportunity, but they’re just not on the same page here; Folau and Koroibete nowhere to be seen as Hooper charges into heavy traffic. They’re not backing each other, despite copping an absolute ear-ringing in the sheds from Michael Cheika at the break.
Scott Lowe asks the question:
Michael Cheika is getting sacked after this, right? Even if they manage to turn it around and win from here, they were, and have been, utterly abject throughout this whole season. And the temptation to bring in a high profile coach with a limited remit of success at the World Cup would be too great.
What do you think, does Scott have a point?
We’ve got a break in the play as Jaco Peyper grabbles with a broken radio issue.
Second half!
No time to dwell, we’re back underway and it’s Australia straight under pressure, forced to bring it out from their own line.
And for all those aspiring tabloid headline writers out there – if this stays the same in the second half, what’s your go-to description for this one?
I’m torn between:
“As-Salta: Wallabies suffer grievous bodily harm in Puma pummelling”
and
“Cheika-mate: old friend Mario Ledesma delivers coup de grace to Wallabies coach”
Welly, well, well.
What to make of that first stanza. Were Australia abject, or were the Pumas just unstoppable? A combination of both?
Your thoughts on what we’ve just witnessed, so far; which incidentally, is a record points haul in a half for Argentina against the Wallabies.
Half-time: Argentina 31-7 Australia
39 min: And, deary me. Australia with a rare attacking moment, and it’s the vastly experienced Kurtley Beale who just drops one cold! A ball on the chest, and it slips straight through the fingers.
They get another chance, and to their credit they go on the attack, the Wallabies. But the Argentine defence is more than equal to the task, and they bundle the Australians into touch.
There’s the whistle, what a half of rugby from Argentina!
Updated
Penalty! Argentina 31-7 Australia
No mistake from the boot, Iglesias slots a reasonably tough one, but distance is no issue at this altitude, and the aim is good.
36 min: Koroibete pinged for a high shot, a tough one that, with the arm sliding up the shoulder and around the neck. This time they do elect for the chance at three.
Maybe their exertions have caught up on them; the Pumas, in keeping with their impressive first 36 minutes you wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d elected to go for the lineout there.
33 min: Big steal from Hooper, he buys Australia a brief respite. They put it on the toe, but it rolls agonisingly just into touch in goal.
After all that, it’s a return to near half-way for a scrum! They can’t win a trick, the Wallabies. Uncharacteristic errors and poor options selected from senior players. That was Genia’s kick that time, and yes, it was unlucky, but when they’re being badly outplayed, you can’t afford such poor judgement.
Try! Argentina 28-7 Australia (Iglesias)
31 min: They run ball in hand again the Pumas, and deary, me!
We asked what effect the new man would have to the backline; he’s slotted in like a man that’s started! Terrific step to bypass Haylett-Petty and they’re in again.
It’s easy to harp on the Wallabies, but this has been excellent stuff from Argentina!
29 min: Bad news for the Pumas, the “Little General” Sanchez is limping out of the action – looks a knee or thigh injury, and they’re forced into an early substitution.
Will that affect the backline cohesion? We talk about the Argentine forwards a lot, but it’s their backs that have impressed so much tonight. Iglesias comes off the bench.
Try! Argentina 21-7 Australia (Orlando)
27 min: Argentina pinch another one at the line out! Here’s a chance to attack, and they’ve got a penalty advantage.
Great hands close to the line and they run at the Wallabies. There’s a line of bodies in gold, but the centre Orlando backs himself; great strength, and great determination, as he crashes over under the posts!
Conversion successful, and they’re looking pretty, the Pumas.
25 min: Australia almost poach the line out, but Tupoa can’t reel in the loose ball, and its Argentina again on the attack.
A terrific catch-and-pass move from the Argentines, before Moroni puts it on the toe and Koroibete carries it into touch in goal. 22 restart and they thump it down-field, the Wallabies.
23 min: Good metres from the Wallabies, they switch left, then right – but it’s a disappointing finish to the move. Foley chips a short kick looking for Folau on the wing; but it’s overhit and they don’t connect.
Penalty against Australia, a bit of frustration coming into this, and a lot of chat flying round.
21 min: A relieving kick from Foley – the altitude at Salta may not be the players’ friend in the lungs, but it certainly is from the boot; that effort flies a good 50+m.
But again it’s the Pumas with ball in hand. Pocock with a good spoiling tackle, but he’s done receiving medical attention, Australia’s No 8. He rejoins the fray, praise to Jebu for that.
18 min: Great maul, the legs start pumping, they’ve got momentum here.. but the Wallabies just hold up! Will Genia with a crucial tackle!
They probe the left-hand side, and a Puma crosses the line – but the linesman’s flag waves; again just a foot on the line!
A big let off for Australia, Haylett-Petty’s error of judgement goes unpunished.
16 min: A mistake now from the fullback, Haylett-Petty claims a difficult, swirling kick, but he elects to run at the defensive line, and is isolated. Doesn’t release, and it’s Argentina with the chance to build an offensive line out play.
They’re about 10m out, and we’ve a penalty as Hooper joins from the side. They go for the lineout, the Pumas. Attacking stuff!
Try! Argentina 14-7 Australia (Hooper)
14 min: Here we go! Haylett-Petty with a good run at the line, they’re scrambling out wide the Pumas, and Boffelli knocks a pass to the ground; Jaco Peyper plays advantage and Australia recycle, and it’s the skipper who crosses!
No mistake from Foley, he strikes that one very cleanly. Game on!
13 min: A mix of one-out runs and backline moves as Argentina look to attack. A cute grubber is played through and Moyano almost recovers, but it’s into touch around the halfway mark.
Now they’re bringing out from their own line, the Pumas, and Sanchez fires a terrific box kick to get valuable metres.
11 min: And now a first real attacking chance for the Wallabies, they throw the lineout deep where Hannigan collects, it’s pulled down around 5m out. What can they make of this..
Penalty against Australia, Faingaa pinged for not releasing! A real let-off for the Pumas, but good defence from the captain Creevy who locks up his opposite number.
9 min: Argentina enjoying some early sustained possession, and they’ve not been shy to give their backs an early look. Reece Hodge relieves the pressure with one of his booming 45-5om kicks.
6 min: We know its a game at altitude, but this has been breakneck stuff so far.
Argentina throw it round out wide; they take on the Wallabies backline and a desperate tackle from Foley just sees his opponent step on the line. Otherwise they were almost on again, the Pumas!
Try! Argentina 14-0 Australia (Boffelli)
4 min: Australia swing wide, and Reece Hodge makes a bust, what a high-octane start to this one!
He jinks inside a few tackles, but forces the offload, and doesn’t find a gold jersey! Argentina pick up the loose ball and immediately counter attack. They show good hands the Puma backs, and it’s the fullback, Boffelli who backs up well to score the try!
Conversion successful, who needs a point a minute! What a start for the hosts!
Try! Argentina 7-0 Australia (Matera)
2 min: Argentina enter the Australian half for the first time and from a seemingly innocuous centre-field position it’s Matera who bursts onto the ball with a terrific angled run. Like a hot knife through butter, he bursts the line and runs away under the posts!
The conversion is successful, and inside 120 seconds they trail, the Wallabies.
First half!
1 min: And we’re away! Foley kicks deep to get us underway, before Argentina tries the box kick from about 20m out, but only gain 10-15 on the fly before Haylett-Petty charges through to claim.
Australia on the attack, but it’s a handling error from Koroibete, and we’ve a first line out.
Jaco Peyper is our man with the whistle tonight. And he checks the watch, and ponders giving a good healthy blast.
We’re not too far away from first whistle, as both teams enjoy a pre-game huddle in the sheds. Hooper addresses his chargers; Creevy emphatically exhorts his.
And a word from inside the stadium. Apparently some absolute tannoy bangers being dropped inside the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena.
Not a bad spot for a bit of footy here in Salta.
— Beth Newman (@bethknewman) October 6, 2018
*not pictured: the bangerz blaring through the stadium speakers. 📢 #ARGvAUS pic.twitter.com/qqpaHyypPk
Should be a decent atmosphere and crowd in tonight, they’ll be smelling blood in the water, the local fans.
And we gather now for anthems.
A few tweaks and changes for Australia (it is Michael Cheika, after all), but the major talking point is the return at No 10 of Bernard Foley. He saw himself riding the pine for a few weeks, but he gets the nod ahead of Matt Toomua, with Kurtley Beale shifted back to the centres.
On paper, you’d have to say this looks a good team – plenty of experience, plenty of quality across the park (but haven’t we said that before).
A quick word with the beleaguered Cheika, pre-game: “The difficult times, they come and go; the tough – they stay. And we want to be tough tonight.”
Speaking of tough: a tough call on Toomua in particular? He’s not embarrassed himself since his return to the side, and has definitely shown signs of building an understanding with Beale. A victim perhaps of Kurtley’s inability to grasp the nettle when handed the chance to start at No 10 last time out?
But to the game at hand. Some team news:
Australia: (15-1): Dane Haylett-Petty, Israel Folau, Reece Hodge, Kurtley Beale, Marika Koroibete, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper (c), Ned Hanigan, Adam Coleman, Izack Rodda, Taniela Tupou, Folau Faingaa, Scott Sio
Reserves: Tolu Latu, Sekope Kepu, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Simmons, Rory Arnold, Caleb Timu, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Tom Banks
Argentina: (15-1): Emiliano Boffelli, Matias Moroni, Matias Orlando, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Ramiro Moyano, Nicolas Sanchez, Gonzalo Bertranou, Javier Ortega Desio, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera, Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti, Ramiro Herrera, Agustin Creevy (c), Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Reserves: Julian Montoya, Santiago Garcia Botta, Santiago Medrano, Matias Alemanno, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Tomas Cubelli, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, Sebastian Cancelliere
As always, this service is a train that picks up all passengers – we’d love to hear from you, especially if you have the answers to the riddle that is the Wallabies in 2018. Sack the coach? Change the captain? Salt the earth?
Let us know your thoughts, musings and predictions ahead of this one today – via email or fire me a tweet at @rrjparkin if that’s the kind of thing that floats your boat.
Alternatively, just fire us a cheerio from wherever it is you’re following our coverage. Are you on holiday in the Orkneys? On safari and dial up internet from Maasai Mara in Kenya?
Updated
Hello! A warm welcome to you and yours, thee and thine, from wherever you’re following this coverage.
If you’ve just awoke, emerged from a cave etc, and missed the earlier result from Loftus Versfeld, then phwaor, get your reading tackle on this:
An absolute corker of a Test, by all accounts. Can we hope for something similar today from Salta?
Preamble
How do you solve a problem like Australian Rugby?
With two wins from eight Tests its not been a good 2018 for the Wallabies. From a nation that made the most recent Rugby World Cup final to the unprecedented depths of 7th in the world rankings, it hasn’t been so much the results (which, sure, have been bad) but perhaps the manner in which the Wallabies have managed to fashion fresh implosion and grasp morale-sapping loses from the jaws of victory.
They say its the hope that kills you, and by interspersing some rotten rugby with a sprinkling of genuinely good stuff, Michael Cheika’s chargers have become perfect advocates of the artform. Throwing away Tests at the death, playing brilliant defence one week to wet tissue stuff the next, and more recently, showing utter vulnerability at almost every aspect of set piece.
It’s a weakness that won’t have gone unnoticed by Pumas coach Mario Ledesma – you might recall he was the Australian forwards coach about the last time they could win a line out / not collapse a scrum.
Accordingly, the pressure has ratcheted up on Michael Cheika ahead of today’s clash. He’s publicly had the backing of Rugby Australia to take the men in gold to the 2019 World Cup in Japan; but should they claim their first ever Rugby Championship wooden spoon with an insipid display in Salta then the knives will be out. Plenty at stake therefore, especially with Argentine rugby conversely soaring.
