Australia beat Argentina to finish 2nd in Rugby Championship

Australia overcame Argentina this morning. The Wallabies were 32-17 winners in the final match of the 2021 Rugby Championship for both teams. With the competition over, Australia finish in second and the winless Pumas in fourth.

Argentina’s performance was lackluster. The team was categorically second best for the majority of the contest. The Wallabies won the contact battles, tackled better, carried further, passed quicker and, of course scored more points.

The teams exchanged missed penalties early. Emiliano Boffelli’s 3rd minute penalty sailed to the left as did Quade Cooper’s attempt three minutes later. Cooper was on target with his second. His three point opportunity came from the opening scrum of the match; in his first test start Rodrigo Martínez was penalized for collapsing.

Argentina’s second scrum mirrored the first; Los Pumas were penalized. Australia were also on top in general play. With ball in hand the Wallabies were able to run with the ball through quick phases and, in doing so, gain meters. In contrast, when with the ball Los Pumas were unable to break the defense.

Australia’s first opportunity at scoring a try was unsuccessful. Guido Petti stole an opposition lineout to save Los Pumas as Santiago Carreras cleared the lines. Australia, though, were straight back in to the Pumas 22. They again won a penalty and kicked for the corner. This time Tomás Lavanini was penalized and yellow carded for tackling the jumper in the air. The offense resulted in a yellow card.

Australia went for another lineout and this time came away with a try. Wallaby hooker Folau Fainga’a went over after barging through to his right. Los Pumas looked had looked to stop the maul on the other side. Cooper’s conversion attempt was wide.

With half time approaching a second try put Australia in control. The Wallabies won a penalty from a scrum and then scored from the first phrase. Andrew Kellaway’s try involved one of what were eleven first half missed tackles from the South Americans. Rob Valetini made the break, beating his opposite Rodrigo Bruni.

Los Pumas opened their account after the half time siren. Argentina won back-to-back penalties in the opposition 22. They looked to score but firm Wallaby defense restricted the scoring to three. Boffelli’s penalty came two minutes after the 40 minute mark.

Australia held a 15-3 half time lead. It would not remain that way for long. Australia’s third try came three minutes after the resumption. It came from the Wallabies’ first opportunity. Phases and quick ball saw the Pumas backline breached. Samu Kerevi went over in the 43rd minute.

Australia followed it up with further points. Rookie winger, Kellaway scored two in quick time to bag a hat-trick. The game was over with more than one quarter remaining.

Mario Ledesma’s response was to empty the bench. It gave test debuts to props Eduardo Bello and Thomas Gallo. The latter gave Argentina their first try. With his first touch of the ball in test rugby, Gallo scored from a pick-and-go. It was the first of two as he went into the try zone ten minutes later.

The double from the Tucumán debutant saw Argentina ending with credibility on the scoresheet. Attention turns to November, which for Argentina has more questions than answers. The tour to France, Italy and Ireland has a team with their backs to the wall and a coach under severe pressure.

 

SCORING

AUSTRALIA 32
Tries – F. Fainga’a (27′), A. Kellaway 3 (34′, 54′, 57′), S. Kerevi (43′)
Cons – Q. Cooper 2/5 (35′, 56′)
Pens – Q. Cooper 1/2 (9′)
YC – M. Hooper (80′)

ARGENTINA 17
Tries – Gallo 2 (62′, 72′)
Cons – E. Boffelli 2/2 (62′, 73′)
Pens – E. Boffelli 1/2 (40′)
DG – S. Carreras 0/1
YC – T. Lavanini (27′)

 

TEAMS

AUSTRALIA
1 James Slipper (17 Angus Bell 50′), 2 Folau Fainga’a, 3 Taniela Tupou (18 Greg Holmes 63′), 4 Izack Rodda (19 Matt Philip 50′), 5 Darcy Swain (4 Izack Rodda 78′), 6 Pete Samu (20 Sean McMahon 56′), 7 Michael Hooper (capt.), 8 Rob Valetini, 9 Nic White (21 Jake Gordon 60′), 10 Quade Cooper (22 James O’Connor 60′), 11 Andrew Kellaway, 12 Samu Kerevi (23 Tom Wright 52′), 13 Len Ikitau, 14 Jordan Petaia (16 Lachlan Lonergan 68′), 15 Reece Hodge

ARGENTINA
1 Rodrigo Martínez (17 Thomas Gallo 52′), 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Enrique Pieretto (18 Eduardo Bello 52′), 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Juan Martín González (7 Marcos Kremer 76′), 7 Marcos Kremer (19 Matías Alemanno 62′), 8 Rodrigo Bruni (20 Francisco Gorrissen 60′), 9 Gonzalo Bertranou (21 Gonzalo García 61′), 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Lucio Cinti (23 Mateo Carreras 64′), 14 Matías Moroni, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía

Not used: 16 Facundo Bosch, 22 Domingo Miotti

 

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistants: Nic Berry (Australia) & Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: James Leckie (Australia)