Two wins in a row. Say it loud and proud. After six defeats in succession – from the World Cup final, the clean sweep by England and then two comprehensive losses to the All Blacks – this was welcome relief.
The Wallabies blitzed the Pumas out of the blocks early, posting 21 points in just the first 14 minutes. First Bernard Foley beat a few defenders and then the recycled ball came to Michael Hooper, who dummied and put Sami Kerevi over. Then Quade Cooper demonstrated some of that classic Cooper charm with a no-look pass for Dane Haylett-Petty to steam through.
The tries kept coming as Will Genia forced an error and chased through to get on the scoresheet. Argentina then stemmed the bleeding with a penalty goal and started to fight their way back in the match. They added another before half-time to go in 21-6 behind. Strangely the Pumas enjoyed 70% possession and made just 21 tackles to the Wallabies 98 in the first half, but they couldn’t break the Aussie line. The Wallaby defence, so meek against the English and Kiwis, was doing its job.
In the second half Argentina started brilliantly thanks to a great finish from Santiago Cordero. At 21-13 they had a sniff and Australia’s inability to hold on to the pill was becoming a problem. Enter Sean McMahon. A bullocking run from the forward with more mongrel than a rabid dog ended in a sniping second try from Genia from the next ruck. That try settled the Wallaby nerves and gave them a 13-point lead.
Michael Cheika went to his bench but it was the bearded one Cooper who pulled out another of his party tricks. A second no-look pass and this time it was Hooper who galloped into acres of space as the Puma defence parted like the Red Sea. 33-13 and it was job done with 15 minutes left on the clock.
There was still time for Cooper to complete a usual Cooperesque performance – with a yellow card for an unnecessary shoulder charge off the ball. Some things never change. That mean Foley’s intercept try was chalked off and the Pumas hit back with a five-pointer to Facundo Isa off a rolling maul. The Wallabies closed out the game with a long distance penalty goal to Reece Hodge.
So what does the Perth performance mean? Let’s not get carried away, Australia haven’t lost to Argentina on home soil since Michael Cheika was in short pants and last week they beat a struggling and out of form Springbok side in Brisbane. The Wallabies were scratchy against the Boks, giving them a large head start then saved by a bit of Foley brilliance, and they blew the Pumas away with an outstanding opening spell.
But now they surrender home advantage and go on the road, first to Pretoria and then to London. Victories in South Africa are rarer than hen’s teeth and the passionate Pumas will have plenty of support at Twickenham. Then it’s back to Eden Park for the annual Auckland humiliation delivered by the All Blacks.
Australia sit in second place on the Rugby Championship table now, however that might not be the case in a fortnight.
Then there is the small case of a five Test, seven-match Grand Slam tour. Meetings with Wales, Scotland, France and Ireland, not to mention Eddie Jones’ England again, all in quick succession. Revenge will be on the minds of the Welsh and Scots after being downed by the Wallabies at last year’s World Cup, while the others will relish home ties. All this without David Pocock who is out with a broken hand.
There are positives with nine new Wallabies blooded this year, including the emergence of Haylett-Petty and Adam Coleman. Locks Rory Arnold, Coleman and Lopeti Timani are giving the Australian pack both some much-needed bite and stability in the lineout. The scrum remains a work in progress but Tom Robertson appears an adept scrummager.
With 10 games now away the Wallabies depth will be severely tested. Will the Cooper-Foley 10 and 12 combination keep working? Is Cooper too much of defensive liability? Is Foley big enough to play inside centre week-in-week-out? Do the green and gold forwards have what it takes to match the best of the northern hemisphere? Can they cover for the loss of Pocock?
They’re all questions we’ll have definite answers to in the next three months. The vast gap between New Zealand and the rest of the world remains, with the 2015 World Cup fast becoming a distant memory. The battle to become the number two national team in the world is on, and the Wallabies are far from favourites to win that race. But last night’s victory shows there is still life in Cheika’s chargers.
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