Argentina v Australia: Five takeaways as Les Kiss ‘identity’ continues to emerge in Test defined by ‘small moments’
The Wallabies and Argentina played out a tense draw in Test two in Mendoza
Following a gritty 28-all draw in Mendoza, here are our five key takeaways from the second and final Test in the Argentina-Australia series.
The top line
The Wallabies bagged a series win on Argentinian soil for the first time, but it came via a 28-28 draw against Los Pumas in Test two.
Les Kiss’ side, who won Test one 27-21 last weekend, raced into a 14-0 lead thanks to tries from Harry Wilson and Max Jorgensen before the hosts hit back with two of their own, courtesy of Pablo Matera and Ignacio Mendy, in the final five minutes of the first-half to make it level pegging at the break.
That pretty much set the tone for the second stanza, with the sides swapping scores once more. The Wallabies regained the lead through Fraser McReight before Ignacio Ruiz and Matera got themselves over the whitewash to make it 28-21 to the hosts.
However, that lead was short-lived, as the Wallabies were awarded a penalty try mere moments after Los Pumas had got their noses in front. However, despite both sides pressing for a victory, they were unable to break the deadlock and the Test ended in stalemate.
Small moments
This Test was actually pretty balanced across the 80 minutes, but it was ultimately decided by small moments. It just seemed that tiny incidents helped lead to major milestones and match-defining moments.
Take Franco Molina’s sin-bin as an example. The Wallabies were the better side in the opening exchanges but only had seven points to their name, but as soon as they got numerical advantage they made it 14-0.
Jeremy Williams’ yellow was essentially a replica, but in Argentina’s favour with that period resulting in a run of 14 points at a time when they seemed out of the Test. Argentina could have also taken the lead on the stroke of half-time, only for Joseph Suaalii to force a knock-on and bring the opening stanza, and the attack, to a grinding halt.
The second-half was no different. Argentina probably had the better of the opening exchanges, but a penalty got the Wallabies in touching distance of the line and ultimately over it via McReight.
After a run of 14 points to Argentina, two yellow cards for deliberate knock-ons brought the Wallabies right back into the contest at a time they seemed down and out.
It was exhilarating, to say the least, and it kept everyone right on their toes. It was only little moments, but they had a huge effect on the outcome of this Test and it was probably a fair result in all honesty.
Les Kiss revolution
The Wallabies remain unbeaten under new head coach Kiss and while the draw might frustrate him somewhat, it’s exactly what he would have wanted from this block of matches.
Were they perfect? No, but coming in off the back of the Nations Championship in which they finished with just one win from three and a disappointing tour last November, this will be a real shot in the arm.
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Kiss’ biggest challenge lies ahead in the form of the Springboks and All Blacks, but there’s a clear sense of identity coming through already.
They are looking to play expansively, but there’s a level of control about it. It’s not helter-skelter stuff; it’s measured and accurate but also built on the foundations of up-tempo rugby and looking to target space. On the back of that, they do have real steel in their pack.
Wilson, Angus Bell, Rob Valetini carried like angry freight trains in Mendoza, looking for any possible way to smash and bash their way through the Los Pumas defence. McReight continued to find new ways to get himself into the game, ending as the top metre-maker across the Test in the process, and their defence was also top-notch.
Australia probably needed the coaching change at the time it happened, and it’s paying off. They now head into their toughest block of the year, but there should be a real pep in their step.
A positive debate?
The fly-half debate will continue to rage on for the next few weeks as the Wallabies prepare to face the Springboks in a one-off Test and then the Bledisloe Cup series with the All Blacks, but it seems to be becoming a positive headache now for Kiss. First, Carter Gordon went well in Test one, and now Ben Donaldson has gone well in Test two.
It just seemed like Donaldson was involved in everything good about the Wallabies’ play. His inventive ball-in-hand and desire to take on the defence saw him pose genuine questions. This was strengthened by his connection with Len Ikitau, with both viable options flat at the line, while Donaldson also seemed comfortable in his combination with Ryan Lonergan.
Crucially, he also seemed to just inject himself into the game at the right time to make something happen, be it with the boot or to act as that crucial playmaker to fire the ball wide when the forwards had bashed through the defence.
Just look at Jorgensen’s try as the prime example of that, the No.1o spawning from almost nowhere to connect with the winger and send him over the whitewash. The most telling thing was the fact their attack didn’t fire as well with him off the pitch, which tells a story in itself.
You feel Kiss will need to nail his flag to the mast at fly-half sooner rather than later, but this tour has given him genuine food for thought in that position. It’s gone from his biggest headache to arguably his most positive debate.
Turning it on
Los Pumas do not know when they’re beaten, do they? This was yet another example of them fighting back from a big deficit to really get back into the game.
Against England in the Nations Championship, they were 19-3 down before nearly salvaging a draw. Against the Springboks, a Test in which they did hold a lead, they nearly got something at the death. Against the Wallabies last time out, they were 22-7 down at one point in the first-half before getting to within six points come full-time.
Those all ultimately ended in defeat, of course, but it didn’t on this occasion. Here, that pattern changed as they got a draw. They just effortlessly grew into the game, and it pretty much came from nowhere.
At 14-0 down, they seemed down and out. That aforementioned yellow card to Williams gave them a lifeline, but what they did with that was mind-blowing. They hit back with two tries in virtually two touches of the ball before then scoring 14 more points in the second half.
Yes, they let the Wallabies back into it late on, but the fact they yet again fought into a game that seemed to be slipping away from them should be a positive.