The great escape: Australia come from behind to down Pumas
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Argentina stood on the brink of a remarkable first victory in the Rugby Championship before Australia rallied to prevail 23-19 on Saturday.
The Pumas looked on course for a famous win after two quick-fire tries saw the tournament newcomers lead 19-6 with just over a quarter of the match remaining.
However, the Wallabies showed superb composure and scored 17 unanswered points to hit the front and deny the South Americans who once again proved to be mighty tough opponents.
Ruthless and relentless, the unforgiving Argentineans pounded the shell-shocked Wallabies for 59 minutes before tries by Pat McCabe and Digby Ioane edged them in front.
A late Kurtley Beale penalty gave the hosts some breathing space, before the Wallabies were forced to defend their line in the dying stages to avert what would have been an embarrassing defeat.
The Pumas powered their way to a deserved 6-3 lead at half-time after Argentina pivot Juan Martin Hernandez and Australia centre Berrick Barnes traded penalties in a tense first-half. The Wallabies could've hit the front before the break had number eight Radike Samo not lost the ball when diving over the line.
Barnes made it six apiece from right in front eight minutes into the second-half, but it didn't get any easier for Australia when Tomas Leonardi charged down Quade Cooper's kick for a opportunistic try.
The Pumas looked to have delivered the knock-out blow when two minutes later, replacement Juan Imhoff sprinted along the touchline before passing inside to Julio Faras Cabello for a sensational score and an upset looked on the cards.
Hernandez missed the conversion from far out, leaving the score at 16-6, but made no mistake with a penalty to extend his side's lead to 13 points over the Wallabies.
Australia's reply finally came on the hour when sustained pressure finally broke down the Argentine defence and McCabe charged in from close range.
Barnes struck a simple conversion to make it 13-19 and eight minutes later winger Ioane reduced the deficit to a single point when he latched onto Nick Phipps's pass to score after the scrum-half had broken up the left.
Barnes' conversion made it 20-19 and saw Australia take the lead for the first time in the match with just 10 minutes to go, albeit by a single point. And inside the final minute Beale stretched the lead to four points with a penalty to end Argentine hopes of a dream win and ensure under-pressure coach Robbie Deans will sleep somewhat easier this week.
The win moved the Wallabies (eight points) into second place on the tournament standings - eight points behind New Zealand (16) who have a vice-like grip on the series with just two rounds to play.
Man of the match: Hats off to the entire Pumas team for yet another physical display that would have left the Wallabies battered and bruised. But we thought Julio Faras Cabello made up for his yellow card shown last week against the All Blacks with a strong performance that included a try while his monster hits a real feature in a physical Test that was perfect for him.
Moment of the match: Cabello's try would have had Robbie Deans chewing the last of his finger nails off, but Pat McCabe's score proved to the beginning of the end for the Pumas.
Villain of the match: Yes, McCabe's yellow for a foul play was a fair call. But talk about going from zero to hero...
The scorers:
For Australia:
Tries: McCabe, Ioane
Cons: Barnes 2
Pens: Barnes 2, Beale
For Argentina:
Tries: Leonardi, Cabello
Pens: Hernandez 3
Australia: 15 Berrick Barnes, 14 Dom Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe (capt), 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore/Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Scott Higginbotham, 19 Liam Gill, 20 Brett Sheehan, 21 Anthony Fainga'a, 22 Kurtley Beale.
Argentina: 15 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, 14 Gonzalo Camacho, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Santiago Fernandez, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Juan Martin Hernandez, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (capt), 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6 Julio Faras Cabello, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Manuel Carizza, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Eusebio Guinazu, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 18 Leonardo Senatore, 19 Tomas Leonardi, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 Martin Rodriguez, 22 Juan Imhoff.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
By Dave Morris
Comments
7ton says...
Trinats2
McCabe is an Aussie and he was sin binned because he cheated plain and simple HE CHEATED
donguiyo and Toulousain make a valid claim about another Aussie cheating that led to a try.
TVaddict is right because both Australia and NZ do cheat but he is a hypocrite because I would put my house on it that his team cheats as well
Posted 22:48 18th September 2012
Trinats2 says...
Ramage:
Just a typo Australia never cheat ! He was just referring to NZ and cheating (which is a no brainer really !!!)
"I always have trouble following" "my mind gets a little scrambled" you're not wrong there !!!
Mate, they might have pills for it, go see your quack.
Posted 23:50 17th September 2012
Ramage says...
@ Trinuts I always have trouble following your logic so please forgive me if my mind gets a little scrambled as I try to follow your reasoning but thanks for pointing it out as I do like to be fair lol.
You didnt comment onthat outrageous accusation made by TV addict who now claims Australia has joined NZ as another cheating nation. Surely not Trinuts you cant let him away with such untruths and underhanded claims about your Wallabies. He is so upset by it he is claiming that other nations will have to cheat like NZ and Australia.
Posted 15:54 17th September 2012
Trader2 says...
Trinats2
By the time Quakey Quade starts firing all his 2.5 cyl he will be playing that hybrid game with your mate SBW.
Posted 14:13 17th September 2012
Trinats2 says...
Ramage:
Not sure you picked my post up correctly (first was tongue in cheek) second, was about Cooper. Still think they are being mismanaged (wether Deans or all coaching staff, I'm not sure) It's not so much that i doubted wallabies ability, it was wishful thinking to take a loss to get rid of Deans.
I will say however, that Douglas had a very good game and I will eat humble pie (maybe he just needs a good team in S15 !!!).
2EyedKiwi / Oxymoron:
Em, didn't say we had NO depth (that was others) !
I said we don't have the depth you do,
Try taking off your patch and you might read it correctly !!!
Posted 14:10 17th September 2012
sandal says...
@ 2EyedKiwi
Lol! Touche!
Posted 12:28 17th September 2012
Ramage says...
Welcome back Trinuts I see you have got all your toys back in the pram after your hizzy fit when the Wallabies lost their two games to the AllBlacks even getting nilled in one of them. What a fairweather friend of the Wallabies you have turned out to be. Fancy doubting that the Wallabies would win against the Boring Boks and Press Favourite Pumas. It was left to some of us to get in behind and support the Wallabies as we could see that they were better than what their Oz fairweather friends including Trinuts and georgesmith were saying. The Wallabies have buckled down under Deans and showed that they are no write offs as the fairweather friends were predicting.. Yes both NZ and Australia now have their away matches and it remains to be seen how they both cope with those games.
By the way Trinuts what do you think of the hilarious post by TVaddict who is now lumping Australia with NZ as the cheats of world rugby. Now how could this be possibly so? We know that the All Blacks cheat you have told us often enough but how come people are now saying Australia is doing it too. Have they stumbled on something new or is it No.1 and No.2 envy. The joke is that he is even claiming other nations will have to cheat as well. Pardon me? Isnt it funny that these know all people can claim these nations are cheating when those employed to control the games do not seem to agree. I would even rate Barnes and Clancy as having a bit more knowledge than these posers even if Barnes can never recognise a forward pass and Clancy hasn't a clue. Hmmm don't the haters show how pathetic they are when they make those hilarious statements.
Posted 11:50 17th September 2012
Trinats2 says...
Not sure of the negativity on Cooper's performance ?? Obviously the people on here not to rate his performance have never ran out on the turf.
He had a very solid game and dictated the game well, too well at times. Too well because players were not in position to take passes (when a pass went to ground) or was it yet another new combination ?
Cooper had yet more changes in the combinations, Phipps inside him and McCabe outside him. tough if just one change.
His vision and flat tight pass put McCabe over the line, also sent Sharpe over with similar pass (Sharpe couldn't ground ball) and there were a couple of drop balls where the passes were delivered spot on, but players failed to put themselves into correct position/line.
There was the charge down (off side ??) and the pass to Barnes, which was forward (everyone has them) as the only negatives on the night.
I watched the replay on TV and what you don't see is the work and organising Cooper does off the ball. He has great vision and positional play. He still has only a hand full of games at any level since his injury last year, and in each game he is slowly getting back to the best whcih won the Reds S15 and Wallabies the Tri Nations. When he starts to fire on all cylinders and has first choice players around him, watch out !
Posted 11:15 17th September 2012
Trinats2 says...
PumasPack:
Welcome to the Rugby Championships !!! Agrentina are, and have been for a long time now, part of the big 3. (you will finish above SA !!!)
Posted 10:34 17th September 2012
rugby_rockstar says...
Bit of home advantage help mixed with the pumas maybe choking a little with the finish line in sight... Still a good match to watch though.
Posted 09:45 17th September 2012
2EyedKiwi says...
@Trinats12. Erm, actually you did...
Trinats2 says...
Yes, we do not have the depth like you but have always, and will continue to punch above our weight...
Posted 22:43 27th August 2012
Posted 09:41 17th September 2012
lyndonmac says...
Both teams about seven levels of skill beneath the All Blacks, but an exciting mistakeathon to watch. Cooper dreadful mostly, occasionally brilliant. Feeling sorry still for Deans that so many injuries force him to rely on the unreliable. O.K., the second Pumas' try might have been disallowed by the touchie --- only a blade of grass in it --- but the Pumas were very good and can only get better. Good fight-back by Oz, a tribute to both their spirit and their long-suffering coach. Looking forward to seeing the Pumas back at home with a big crowd backing them--- with a favourable bounce or two they might even get close to the AB's! A massively encouraging effort for a team that hasn't played much together. If only the Boks could be given more adventurous players with a licence to run and pass, gee, we might have a more competitive tournament. As it stands, NZ could field a whole separate team capable of winning the thing ---- says volumes for their depth and their cohesive rugby culture .
Posted 06:13 17th September 2012
Trader2 says...
Trinats2
Along with 100 others I said it, and you haven't.
Posted 02:09 17th September 2012
safehands says...
Best game of the tournament so far!! Wallabies deserved to win as they controlled most of the match...it wasn't luck that they won but rather they took their chances better in the second half. Say what you like about the Wallabies, but one thing they will never do is give up and it is that menatality which kept them going to win this game. Apart from that brief spell in the 2nd half, Argentina were on the back foot for large periods of the game. Argentina will learn that it takes more than just passion to win a game against the 3 SH big guns....but learn they will.....
Posted 01:29 17th September 2012
any1buttheABs says...
@ Jonesy2..........errrrr thats coz we do all hate Australia ?, Australia scrape past Argentina so they must be a top 4/5 team !!!, how arrogant are you !.
I also see they needed to cheat to do so.
Posted 18:23 16th September 2012
TVaddict says...
@donguiyo, @Toulousain
Totally agree, officials need to get a lot tougher on these type of fouls. That, or the rest of the world should just start cheating like Australia and New Zealand do. One set of rules for them at ruck time and a completely different set for everyone else. Seriously though, how did Owens not see that?
Also, I've noticed that when defending, whenever a ruck forms one of their defenders retreats diagonally through the ruck area. This slows down the breakdown support slightly and allows them to slow down the ball. It's never bad enough to warrant a straight up penalty, but ruck after ruck it really effects the attack. Next time you watch Australia or New Zealand look out for it, it happens A LOT. I first noticed it watching Crusaders who also do it a lot. It really needs sorting out as it's definitely damaging the quality of the game.
Posted 17:01 16th September 2012
atg77 says...
Wallabies unlucky not to be a few scores ahead at half time. I get the niggling feeling that no-one is actually taking Argentina seriously; as a consequence having to play catch-up all the time. I would be surprised to see a repeat performance by the Wallabies. Argentina were lucky with "the bounce of the ball", but clearly don't the tempremant nor players for this competition. At the end of the day, the Aussies have the win and four points; and the Argies still winless with four games played.
Posted 14:03 16th September 2012
porridge_time says...
Pumas are not going to get too many better chances than that to beat the wallabies.
Oh yes they are and the next chance will definately come in three weeks time when they meet again. Pumas have breathed a wind of fresh air in to a stale competition.
Posted 13:06 16th September 2012
startledwombat says...
Actually I thought the game was won by the Wallabies after 30 minutes. Pat McCabe you are a legend by deliberately preventing the Argentinian players from scoring. If the Pumas had got one try up at that stage there would have been no stopping them.
But what really made that the turning point was that there were no points scored against Australia in the ten minutes that McCabe was in the bin. Not from the ensuing penalty kick, nor in the nine minutes after.
Simply a brilliant piece of professional illegal play that paid off immensely. Pay that!
Posted 12:27 16th September 2012
KiwiLad says...
The Wallabies (despite Quade) looked for large parts of this game looked like a very good side.
Los Pumas seem to wilt in the final 20 mins, as shown in draw to SA, loss to ABs and loss to the Wallabies, they will no doubt learn from these games and next year will be bloody interesting.
And the ABs and Wallabies have yet to tour Argentina, and both sides should be nervous.
Posted 11:34 16th September 2012