Wasteful Wallabies left frustrated

In every drawn match, there is one team that feels like it has had a win while the other counts it as a loss. Nic White left no one in any doubt how the Wallabies viewed their draw with Argentina.

Wallabies halfback Nic White during the Tri-Nations game against Argentina

In every drawn match, there is one team that feels like it has had a win while the other counts it as a loss. Halfback Nic White left no one in any doubt that the Wallabies viewed their 15-all draw with Argentina in the Tri-Nations Cup match in Newcastle on Saturday night as an infuriating defeat.

Certainly Wallabies coach Dave Rennie will quickly discover the realities of draws. Effectively they are a loss because they never show up in the win column.

“It certainly feels like we are in that category, that latter category,” said a crestfallen White, who was subbed out of the game at the 68-minute mark. He then had to watch as his “Welcome back to the Hunter Valley” game turned to dust as Pumas playmaker Nicolas Sanchez landed a 70th minute penalty goal to level the scores.

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Reece Hodge had an angled 40m attempt to restore Australia’s lead two minutes from fulltime but then came down hard on himself after pushing it right, believing he had failed his country a second time in five Tests. (He had a long-range shot to break a 16-all draw against the All Blacks in Wellington on October 11 but the ball hit the upright and bounced away.)

“Bloody oath, we had plenty of opportunities before that,” said White, absolving his halves partner or any responsibility. “We had try-scoring opportunities, first half. We had a boatload of ball, a heap of territory and we weren’t able to get over the chalk.

“So that’s not on Reece. It’s good having a bloke who can kick it that far and can get us out of trouble but that’s exactly what he would have been doing, getting us out of trouble.”

Indeed, he suggested it might not have been a good thing if Hodge had come to the rescue and booted the goal. The Wallabies would have wiped their brows and simply moved on, neglecting to learn the lessons that were very much there for the taking at McDonald Jones Stadium.

“There are moments when it is probably better to play without the ball,” he said. “They gave us a lot of ball, gave us enough rope to strangle ourselves.

“They are a very good side, very good defensively, very hard on the ball and that was probably a moment where we just needed to do the opposite (of what we did) – we needed to give them the ball, make them exit, make them play, make them chase the game, make them a bit looser. Instead, we played, we got a bit loose, and we invited them in with a bit of ill-discipline and a few errors.

“I thought we did a really good job of showing some pride in the jersey. It was certainly bloody physical and we matched them. You can’t fault the workrate or the intent. It’s all there. We’ve just got to marry that up with a bit of execution and accuracy and play a bit smarter.

“It is going to be hard reviewing and it’s moments like this we have to learn. We can’t make these mistakes again.”

Nic White was frusrated by Australia’s poor use of possession against Argentina

Perhaps the hardest aspect of any review will be the knowledge that the draw has left Australia extremely vulnerable in its quest for silverware, even though all three sides – the Pumas, All Blacks and Wallabies – are now level on six points. What is especially galling is that Australia has won one, lost one and drawn won, compared to the All Blacks’ one win and two defeats but it is too late now to sort out the tie breaking rules.

Had they won, Australia would have needed only to take out its final match of the tournament, against Argentina on December 5 at Bankwest Stadium, to win the cup. Now, particularly if NZ scores a bonus point against the Pumas on Saturday in Newcastle, a tournament win could become next-to-impossible because Australia has such a poor for-and-against record after losing 43-5 to New Zealand in Sydney on October 31.

White did have – ironically in the situation – a solution to the Wallabies’ dilemma: a draw between the All Blacks and Pumas on the weekend.

Five-eighth James O’Connor is progressing well from his foot injury while lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto is making a good recovery from his tricky syndesmosis and the optimistic assessment is that they will be available for selection. But the news is not so positive where inside centre Matt To’omua (groin) and loosehead James Slipper (shoulder) are concerned.

Even if O’Connor does come through, there is no certainty that he will reclaim the five-eighth position. Hodge has been little clunky there but if the Wallabies do intend to play for field position in future, he is far better equipped than O’Connor to drive them deep downtown.

The selection spotlight is more likely to fall on fullback Tom Banks, who has proved solid without being especially threatening, while Tate McDermott should come back into the reckoning as White’s understudy despite the fact that Jake Gordon pretty much saved the match for Australia in the final play of the match.

There was some disquiet in the Wallabies camp about Pumas’ captain Pablo Matera tugging on Australian hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa’s dreadlocks but it was a match in which both sides niggled pretty much constantly and the sensible decision might be to simply move on.