Rugby union 2022 Argentina v Wallabies: Where to next for the Aussies?

One year out from the World Cup, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has some huge decisions to make. He must get them right, or he’ll consign himself to the history books for the wrong reason.

Dejected Wallabies after the Argentina loss. Picture: Getty Images

To be a great Test coach, it has often been said you first need to be a fine selector.

Dave Rennie’s biggest task over the next month is to get his selection right.

If he doesn’t, his win rate won’t move above 40 per cent — the lowest percentage of Wallabies coaches since the game turned professional.

It’s an alarming figure that doesn’t quite paint the overall picture, but unless you can see gradual improvement on the field, everything is judged on winning and losing in professional sport.

One year out from the World Cup, Rennie has huge selection decisions to make in the crucial fly-half and fullback positions — the same two positions that haunted the Wallabies’ campaign in Japan in 2019.

Quade Cooper’s injury has clouded the situation, but given his season-ending injury, the Wallabies must plan for life without him. Should he return in time, it will only be a bonus.

For now though Rennie appears to be second-guessing himself.

Dejected Wallabies after the Argentina loss. Picture: Getty Images

The Wallabies let slip a golden opportunity in Argentina on Sunday in the second Test in San Juan after a comprehensive win in the first just seven days earlier.

Not for the first time the Wallabies were slow out of the blocks and, with a number of big names sidelined, Rennie’s side were unable to finish strongly as Michael Cheika’s Los Pumas scored two late tries to seal a massive 48-17 bonus point win in San Juan.

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The 31-point loss was the Wallabies’ heaviest against Argentina, surpassing the 15 point margin in 1983.

It serves to only amplify the noise around Rennie’s selections.

Noah Lolesio might not have set the world alight in Sydney in the decider against England, but the decision to sideline the rising 22-year-old for the tour of Argentina has the potential to crush his confidence.

The decision to promote experienced playmaker James O’Connor in San Juan in the absence of Cooper and a number of other leaders in the squad, including Michael Hooper, Allan Alaalatoa, Dave Porecki and Samu Kerevi was valid.

But to leave Lolesio out from both match day squads against Argentina, particularly with O’Connor short on match minutes and specialist centre Irae Simone heading overseas, was extraordinary.

After all, it wasn’t long ago he led the Wallabies to victory in the first Test against England in Perth. Nor was he to blame in Brisbane either, where the Wallabies let slip a number of huge opportunities.

Taniela Tupou has yet to dominate a game starting in the No.3 jersey but is seen as the next million dollar man of Australian rugby.

Lolesio, on the other hand, seems to be cast aside as soon as the results go the wrong way. But it’s a shortsighted mindset.

Axing Lolesio, whom Rugby Australia re-signed ahead of the series against England, has only muddied the waters.

The travesty in Australian rugby is there is not a single playmaker between the age of 24 to 31 who is Test standard.

The wavering of selection, particularly when O’Connor and Cooper are as injury-prone as they are, can only be harming his confidence — even if he needs to learn to play flatter, see space in behind and take the ball to the line more.

Is Wallabies coach Dave Rennie second guessing himself? Picture: AFP

Now Bernard Foley could yet be called into Wallabies’ Rugby Championship squad as one of three overseas picks when it is named later in the week.

At least with Foley, the 32-year-old, who is back firing after a couple of years in Japan, has proved his body can handle the rigours of playing week in, week out.

Fullback, too, remains an issue as was showcased in San Juan where Tom Wright was brutally exposed.

Wright’s a gifted runner of the ball and has playmaking ability too, but he has been provided precious few minutes in the No.15 jersey for either the Brumbies or the Wallabies. Talk about inadequate planning, particularly when it was known Tom Banks was heading overseas months ago.

While Wright shone in the TRC opener, for once a Michael Cheika coached side saw the benefit of kicking — and the move paid off as he had a nightmare under the high ball and positionally.

Although Wright was one of the Wallabies’ best against England, he was hardly tested under the high ball in the brief period he spent in the position.

Rather baffling, too, was Rennie turned away from the man who wore the No.15 jersey in Brisbane, Jordan Petaia, despite not getting an idea of whether he was up for the role because he was concussed in the opening minutes of the second Test against England.

It was a horror performance against Argentina from the Wallabies. Picture: AFP

Instead, Rennie opted for Wright in the No.15 jersey and put Petaia, who for years has been considered a long-term fullback option, on the wing against Argentina.

Andrew Kellaway, who hasn’t played since his excellent display against England in Perth, would have worn the No.15 jersey in Brisbane were it not for his hamstring injury.

It’s understood he is tracking to be fit for the Springboks Test at Adelaide Oval on August 27. But he has only started one Test in the position.

The decision to include Simone on the bench in San Juan was even more baffling when you consider someone like Suliasi Vunivalu was not used at all either.

It came after Vunivalu was afforded just a few minutes off the bench in Sydney against England.

Hodge covered 10 in Mendoza and presumably was O’Connor’s back-up in San Juan, but he could have easily moved into the centres too. That would have opened a position for either Lolesio or Vunivalu.

What next for Harry Wilson, too?

The Reds backrower is a gifted ballrunner and offers a point of difference. But he was burnt by being played at blindside flanker against England.

For now Jed Holloway looks a good pick and has the physical profile to provide the Wallabies balance.

Rennie will benefit from the likely returns of as many as seven players for their next Test.

Hookers Porecki and Folau Fainga’a (concussion), as well as props Alaalatoa (personal reasons), Scott Sio (shoulder) and Angus Bell (toe), and backs Hunter Paisami (concussion) and Kellaway are all shaping to be fit to play the Springboks.

It will help the Wallabies’ depth stocks, but it will make selection even more vital.

Rennie has some important decisions to make

Puma’s get sweet revenge with historic win over Wallabies

Argentina gained revenge on Australia for last week’s defeat with a seven-try bonus point 48-17 victory in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

Tries from Juan Imhoff, Jeronimo De La Fuente, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Emiliano Boffelli, Tomas Albornoz and two from Thomas Gallo helped Michael Cheika’s Pumas to a convincing victory and even took them to the top of the table after their first win in the competition since 2020.

To add to the party atmosphere, Agustin Creevy came off the bench to equal Nicolas Sanchez’s record of 94 Pumas caps.

Argentina had wilted in the final quarter in Mendoza a week ago but this time they did not just hold on in San Jaun but romped away in the closing minutes.

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Julian Montoya of Argentina lifts the trophy with teammates after winning a historic during a Rugby Championship match over the Wallabies. Picture: Getty Images.

They were off to a dream start as Imhoff scored his first Pumas try since a brace against Ireland in the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals.

He took the ball on the left wing before chipping ahead and chasing. Australia seemed to have the danger covered but fullback Tom Wright spilt the ball into Imhoff’s arms and the veteran wing raced clear to score with exactly 60 seconds on the clock.

The Pumas needed less than five minutes to score a second try following a stunning 50:22 kick from Santiago Carreras.

Argentina claimed their own lineout and a few phases later Gallo burrowed over under the posts.

Boffelli kicked both conversions but Australia were soon on the scoresheet. Last week, the Wallabies enjoyed great success with their rolling maul and gave up several kickable penalties to instead kick to the corner for a close range lineout, scoring four tries off powerful drives.

They did it again on Saturday and once again Argentina were unable to defend their line as captain James Slipper barged over on 12 minutes.

Attacks were clearly on top and five minutes later the returning James O’Connor kicked a penalty from under the posts as Australia chipped away at Argentina’s lead.

O’Connor then had a try ruled out for an illegal clear-out by Slipper in the preceding ruck.

The Wallabies suffered their biggest ever defeat to the Puma’s, just a week after beating them. Picture: AFP.

Pumas centre De La Fuente was next to cross the whitewash with a jinking run through Australia’s midfield, despite seemingly pulling his hamstring before crashing through two tacklers to score.

Gonzalez scored the fourth Pumas try after an Australian handling error following an up-and-under.

Argentina could have had another try but Boffelli was adjudged to have spilt the ball over the line as he was tackled by Marika Koroibete.

The hosts led 26-10 at the break but had blown a nine-point halftime lead in Mendoza a week ago.

Pumas scrum half Gonzalo Bertranou saved a certain try early in the second period, stripping the ball from Australian hands in his in-goal area.

That was a crucial moment as Boffelli knocked over a penalty and then converted Gallo’s second try, again a short-range drive, to put the Pumas virtually out of sight.

Len Ikitau cut the deficit almost immediately as Argentina’s defence parted all too easily.

But Boffelli added a sixth, outstripping Koroibete to dot down Lucio Cinti’s grubber, and then Albornoz latched quickest onto Tomas Cubelli’s chip ahead to put the icing on the cake.

No joke: Why Wallabies will win Bledisloe back after 20 years

—Jamie Pandaram

This is the column that shouldn’t be written, because it’s been written consistently for 20 years and is always wrong.

But with unwavering confidence, we’ll declare 2022 as the best chance the Wallabies have to win back the Bledisloe Cup.

The All Blacks are on the ropes.

Their coach is about to get sacked. Their captain could be replaced.

They’ve dropped to an unthinkable fifth in the world rankings and on current form deserve to be thought of as a mid-tier Test side.

And while the Wallabies are still the same old Wallabies — impressive periods of attack and defence followed by infuriating errors, leading to a muddle of wins and losses — they’re used to this level.

This is where they’ve been for two decades.

Whereas for the Kiwis, this really is uncharted territory.

Previous coach Steve Hansen lost just 10 of 107 Tests. The man he pushed to replace him, Foster, has lost nine from 26 Tests, the worst record of any modern day All Blacks coach.

Sam Cane leads a dejected All Blacks outfit off the pitch after loss to Ireland.

New Zealand Rugby has resorted to cancelling press conferences amid the intense media and public outcry over their woeful performances, including a first ever loss at home to Ireland.

And what some Kiwi rugby writers have correctly pointed out is that it’s not just that they’re losing, they’re playing like they’ve no idea what they’re doing at times.

There is no perceptible style of play or game plan under Foster; they’re being beaten at the breakdown, in the contact area, and their attack looks as flightless as one of their native birds.

The front page of the New Zealand Herald called for Foster to go this week, and it’s expected if the All Blacks lose again to South Africa this weekend in Johannesburg he’ll go.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster is under the pump as the Kiwis struggle in uncharted territory.

But even then, there’s no guarantee the man most believe should’ve got the job in the first place, Scott Robertson, will take the helm.

Robertson is contracted to the Crusaders until 2024, but with a contractual clause allowing him to take an international job prior.

Some who know Robertson doubt whether he wants to be handed a hospital pass one year out from a World Cup, suggesting he’d prefer to take the job after the 2023 tournament and build his team for four years for Australia 2027.

Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, who is an advisor to Foster now, is the logical choice should Robertson reject the role if it’s available.

In any case, by the time the All Blacks arrive in Melbourne for the opening Bledisloe match on September 15, they’ll have the same coach with an underwhelming record who fans believe can’t win the World Cup, or a new coach still trying to mould the squad with leeway given for a loss here or there.

Australia's Wallabies celebrate with the trophy after defeating Argentina's Los Pumas 41-26 last weekend.

That is what puts Australia in prime position.

They’re not excelling by any means. They’ve just lost a series against England, and lost skipper Michael Hooper to mental fatigue.

They’ve replaced injured 34-year-old playmaker Quade Cooper with 32-year-old playmaker James O’Connor for this weekend’s second Test against Argentina, and potentially recalling another 32-year-old playmaker, Bernard Foley, as possible cover for the home Tests against South Africa.

It is a poor indictment of their development of five-eighths over the past decade, with Noah Lolesio getting a stop-start run.

But last week, they produced perhaps their best half of rugby under coach Dave Rennie, blowing the Pumas away 41-26 after trailing 19-10 at the break.

Cooper went down early in the second half with an Achilles injury, and it was the versatile Reece Hodge who filled the No. 10 position.

Hodge is not the man who will win you a World Cup starting at five-eighth, but what he did impressively well was slot into an attacking system that works.

He didn’t have to overplay his hand, simply move the ball in the right direction to the right people. Finally, we could see what Rennie has been attempting to implement, and to execute that without the leadership of Hooper and Cooper suggests a graduation of the team’s development.

It must continue this week in San Juan — with O’Connor in the key position — if that is a true reflection.

The two home Tests against South Africa to follow, in Adelaide and Sydney, will present far more difficult challenges.

George Gregan is the last Australian skipper to hold aloft the Bledisloe Cup trophy.

But there is only a month before the Bledisloe series begins, with two games, in Melbourne and then the dreaded Eden Park in Auckland.

That’s only four weeks, in which it’s unlikely the Wallabies could deteriorate into a rabble beyond repair.

Where they’re at now is a team that can beat the All Blacks on a bad day.

Coming off a few bad months, it is the Kiwis who are far more likely to fluctuate over the next four weeks.

Australia last held the Bledisloe in 2002.

Over that time, plenty of punters and column writers have earnestly believed the streak would end, only for history to repeat.

But none could have imagined the All Blacks would ever be considered the fifth best team in world rugby.

Their dominance had to end at some stage. The Wallabies would be rude not to take advantage.