by The Wallabies suffered a humiliating Rugby Championship defeat to Argentina, surrendering the most points in their history in a shock 67-27 defeat at Santa Fe. Despite leading 20-3 early, an implosion in second half saw Australia lose 64 points to Los Pumas and sink to a defeat which, while not quite rivaling their 53-8 thrashing of South Africa in Johannesburg in 2009, will nonetheless leave the new coach Joe Schmidt furious. .
Pointing to the loss of key rowers Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou in the second half, Schmidt admitted his team had “fallen off a cliff” as the Argentines produced nine hot tries, demonstrating the slick play that shocked the New -Zealand during the first round of the TRC. . A heavy toll must now follow as a broken Wallabies team attempts to pick up the pieces before the start of the Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand on September 21.
This 40-point bombardment is all the more remarkable given that Australia dominated the country from the start. Jeremy Williams took the first kick of the match with a spectacular mark that AFL player Isaac Heeney would have killed for and Harry Wilson, in his second Test as captain, led the gold rush through the middle as winger Max Jorgensen opened Argentina up on the edges.
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After the two teams exchanged penalties, Australia took a 10-3 lead when Carlo Tizzano capitalized on a Ben Donaldson linebreak and an Angus Bell push to the line. The Wallabies made it 20-3 when Donaldson rushed down the short side and quick hands found Jorgensen who set up Andrew Kellaway for a second try on 30 minutes.
But it was all the best for the men in gold. After 20 consecutive points for the visitors, Argentina responded with 14 tries from Carreras and Montoya, in their 100th test, bringing the score at halftime to 20-17. Until then, the honors were equal, with 50% of possession shared between the teams despite Australian domination.
It was all Los Pumas from there as the ominously named Brigadier General Estanislao López Stadium, popularly known as the Elephant Graveyard, rode a wave of home trials that exposed the abyss between the teams ranked sixth and eighth in the world. Dominant at the end of the scrum, Argentina quickly began to direct each collision and Australia’s free kick, superb until then, collapsed with the departure of Bell and Tupou.
The trickle of return points quickly became a torrent. Matera scored, then Albornoz, then Oviedo as Australia saw their 17-point lead turn into a monstrous 21-point deficit. In the final 10 minutes Los Pumas accelerated in front again, scoring four tries with quick hands, energy and enterprise.
Australia completely collapsed, only a solo try from substitute halfback Tate McDermott slowing the onslaught. Argentina hit fifty with ease, then sixty at a gallop and were scoring at will, with Oviedo and Mallia each scoring a brace, when the siren sounded on a remarkable 64-7 run turnaround in the final 50 minutes of the Test.
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“There were aspects that were really good,” a shocked Schmidt said afterward. “Obviously to go 20-3 in a Test match and get crushed like we did is really disappointing. We can’t let a game slip away from us like it did and fall off a cliff.
“We lost the connection in our defensive line. We chased them constantly. We didn’t put enough pressure on the breakdown, so they ran with a super-fast ball, and it’s just too difficult to keep chasing a team on a hot day when they have the ball and are moving forward .
Schmidt must now try to rebuild his shattered team for the Bledisloe Cup which begins in a fortnight. The chance to win back-to-back away Tests at home was squandered, as was the opportunity to move up to second place in the Rugby Championship table. The angry black mass that is the All Blacks now looms large and deadly on the horizon.
