Los Pumas v Wallabies: Five takeaways as Australia break their Rugby Championship duck and Agustin Creevy says farewell

Los Pumas hooker Agustin Creevy and Wallabies flyer Marika Koroibete.
Following the Wallabies’ narrow 20-19 win over Argentina, here are our takeaways from the Rugby Championship clash in Buenos Aires.
The Top line
Australia finally broke their Rugby Championship duck, appropriately in horrendously wet conditions, as their control of the basics saw them home with a last ditch penalty goal in La Plata.
With the rain howling, this was never going to be a Test match of artistry; more so one that the artisans of ruck, scrum and restart would influence and it was the Wallabies, with outstanding displays from their back-row and props, that adapted better to the torrential conditions.
Juan Martin Gonzalez opened the scoring for Los Pumas but the Wallabies answered through Jake Gordon shortly afterwards and sealed their comeback with a short range effort from Bobby Valetini.
However, it was left to replacement Ben Donaldson, a man rated highly both as a 10 or a full-back, to seal the victory as Los Pumas transgressed under the pressure of some crazy ruck work in the last moments. In truth, you might wonder about the legality of some of those breakdowns, with gold jerseys flying in from all angles to clear at the end, but Donaldson got the crucial opportunity to slot the three-pointer under the posts to see his side home.
Schmidt continuity
Joe Schmidt’s love of close quarter pop passes to maintain continuity in a very structured game plan is thought by some to be against the natural philosophy of Wallaby rugby, but in monsoon-like conditions keeping the ball close to the pack is a wise strategy and that’s precisely the way Australia looked to play.
With Len Ikitau putting in one of his best displays so far at Test level, the visitors smashed and crashed their way forward off nine, with their loose forward trio, aided by the huge Lukhan Salakaia-Loto doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
Jake Gordon scored a crucial try in the 26th minute, despite the final pass looking obviously forward, but it was his orchestration of his pack, where he made over 30 short passes to get them carrying into contact, that was one of the key differences as the Aussie half-back put in his most impressive Test performance to date.
The first seven minutes saw a massive shift from the Aussie carriers against a brilliant defensive set from Los Pumas as 27 phases of close quarter work underlined the way that Schmidt’s men were looking to approach the game. It wasn’t pretty, but it was mightily effective, and although it might not please the advocates of expansive rugby, it was the perfect strategy for the wet conditions in La Plata.
Set-piece basics
In all three areas of the set-piece, the Wallabies managed to find an edge. Whether it be in lineout legality where they enjoyed a rich harvest, scrum engagement where they were rewarded on a number of occasions, or the aerial contest, they won each of those micro battles by the smallest of margins.
Los Pumas may be a little perplexed in regards to some of the engagement calls – one in particular in the last quarter where Allan Alaalatoa appeared to be on his knees on the hit yet somehow won the penalty, but there’s little doubt that overall, Australia had the better of the scrum contest, a crucial battle identified earlier this week by Planet Rugby pundit David Campese.
Australia spoil Agustin Creevy’s farewell clinching a late win in La Plata arm-wrestle
The real key, however, was the dominance of the Aussies in the air. As the rain came down so Marika Koroibete went up and he simply dominated the space to create havoc in reclaiming the kicking strategy of Noah Lolesio and Gordon. The veteran wing had a monstrous match both sides of the ball, abrasive in defence, accurate in the air, and his contribution to this win was absolutely huge.
Argentinian fatigue
For some reason, Los Pumas have failed, in their last two matches, to show the energy and passion that they delivered in the opening Test of the Rugby Championship against New Zealand in Wellington.
The likes of Pablo Matera and Marcos Kremer who had huge matches in round one, didn’t get close to the standard they delivered a couple of weekends ago, although Kremer took a massive hit above the shoulder early in the match and seemed to suffer as a result.
Only Gonzalez, the other member of that world class trio, stood up to the standards expected, but he spent time off with a head assessment and it was in that period that the Aussies mounted their comeback.
There will be questions asked about their front-row, although other questions may well be asked about the way the scrum was interpreted. Los Pumas have always prided themselves on their power in the scrum and, for all his brilliance with ball in hand, Thomas Gallo is still a long way away from being a Test quality scrummager.
Argentina might also learn a lot from the way the Aussies controlled their exit. It was calmness from the Wallaby halfbacks, together with control in the reclaim or chase, that kept Los Pumas away from red zone scoring areas, whereas for the hosts, it was all too rushed and frenetic by comparison.
Farewell Gus
The last word has to go to the retiring Agustin Creevy who made his swansong in the town he was born – La Plata.
The 39-year-old played his 110th and final Test match for the country he first represented way back in 2005. His career has spanned 10 clubs, with sojourns in France, Argentina and England and since his Test debut he has featured in four World Cups, a record for Los Pumas.
With remarkable symmetry, the man that started as an out and out openside flanker, and was converted to the hooking berth by former Argentina coach Santiago Phelan after his 2005 Test debut, finished where he started as he slotted into the back-row for the final moments of his fantastic career.
His ability with ball in hand and propensity to offload accurately out of contact coined him the nickname ‘Sonny-Bill Creevy’ to his adoring Argentinian fans.
It didn’t go his way in La Plata on Saturday, but there’s little doubting Creevy’s huge contribution to Argentinian rugby and the game in both the Top 14 and the Premiership. The genial hooker will be greatly missed but he can look back with pride at a career that’s seen his country move consistently up the rankings to become the formidable force we see today.
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