UP SCHMIDT CREEK: IF THAT’S WHAT PUMAS CAN DO, HOW BAD WILL A LIONS MAULING GET?
The British and Irish Lions tour of Australia is bearing down on the Wallabies with uncomfortable haste.
Credit to Los Pumas for their 67-27 win against the Wallabies in Santa Fe – they were excellent – but the way they were able to gain metres with virtually every carry and dominate the Taniela Tupou-less scrum is an enormous concern.
The British and Irish Lions’ ability to excel in those areas will be far greater than Argentina’s, which leaves Australian rugby having to make a staggering amount of progress in a relatively short amount of time to even be competitive next year.
There has been a common theme in Australian rugby this year – when teams such as the Blues in Super Rugby, the Springboks in Brisbane and Los Pumas in the mood in Argentina turn up the physicality, Australian sides have not found an answer.
2. Those Wallabies scrum woes
The avalanche of late points against the Wallabies can, in part, be explained by the accumulation of pressure earlier in the game.
The Wallabies forwards were losing the initial contacts in the middle of the field, which was compounded by some individual skill errors, and compounded further by the backs losing the kicking duel.
However, the state of the Wallabies scrum when Tupou is not on the field this year is a growing issue.
Tupou lasted 35 minutes in La Plata and left without an obvious injury, and replacement Allan Alaalatoa struggled against Los Pumas’ Thomas Gallo. With their set piece dominant, Argentina could get their excellent midfielders and loose forwards into the Test with devastating effect.
3. Mark Nawaqanitawase’s loss another hammer blow
The juxtaposition of Nawaqanitawase’s excellent debut try for the Roosters and the Wallabies’ historic loss was unmissable at the weekend. Of course, Nawaqanitawase’s absence in Santa Fe had nothing to do with the result, but it was a further painful reminder that Australian rugby will be haunted by the awful 2023 year for years to come.
A bloke like Nawaqanitawase has the ability to compile a weekly highlights reel in the NRL due to his size and athleticism, and it sure is easy to do that when you aren’t being hunted down by 115kg South African or Kiwi loose forwards.
Given the well-publicised price tag of his effective replacement, Joseph Suaalii, it could turn out to be a case of rugby selling low and buying high.
4. Argentine brilliance
The conditions helped, but Los Pumas have now produced two Test wins in The Rugby Championship that involved some outstanding and enterprising rugby. Everyone loves a good first-phase move, and in the 46th minute Los Pumas unleashed a variation of a play Ireland used twice against South Africa.
They had four backs in a tight formation running hard at the Wallabies line, and at the last second pulled a late pass back to the deepest player, Juan Cruz Mallia, who made the incision that eventually led to a try. They have progressed since the Rugby World Cup.
5. The All Blacks’ mixed signals
Strangely, the All Blacks were more impressive in their 18-12 loss to the Springboks overnight than in their two Test victories against England in July.
With bruising new loose forward Wallace Sititi making an immediate impact, the All Blacks showed an ability to get over the gainline against the brutal Springboks.
They continue to be undone by some of their own selections and frailties in the final quarter, but fundamentally that performance was a shift in the right direction for the New Zealanders.
Scott Robertson’s win rate after seven Tests is 57 per cent – perhaps it wasn’t all Ian Foster’s fault after all – but that number may turn out to be a touch misleading as Robertson learns on the job.