Off-air chat reveals true Wallabies feelings on Pumas try
The Wallabies were left bemused by a decision to award the match-winning try to the Pumas, despite beliefs among some players the ball was held up.
Australian players Rob Valetini and Jordan Uelese appeared to get their arms wrapped around the ball held by Argentina's Juan Martin Gonzalez as he launched himself over the try line to score the match-winner.
Referee Jaco Peyper blew his whistle to stop proceedings as the players swarmed on the ball. Moments later, he blew it once more to confirm the try.
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Rob Valetini's arm under try-scorer Juan Martin Gonzalez. Stan Sport
"The ball is on the grass," Peyper could be heard saying on the Stan Sport broadcast.
Several Australian players motioned to suggest the ball was held up while others said there was an earlier knock-on that needed to be looked up.
"It was interesting because when I was chatting to Mark (Nawaqanitawase), just before the cross came down to us when we were on air, he thought for sure that they held him up," said Allana Ferguson.
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Argentinian players celebrate a try by teammate Juan Martin Gonzalez during the Rugby Championship test match between Australia and Argentina. Rick Rycroft via AP
"I don't know, but they were convinced that it was held up."
Stan Sport presenter Nick McArdle suggested a closer look might have been warranted by the TMO.
Marius Jonker can be heard saying "the grounding is good" to referee Peyper moments after the try.
"The TMO, Marius Jonker, gets involved – there was a lot he was involved in – what is the harm in checking that? Such a big match, what is the harm? I'm not saying it was a no-try, but let's have a look," McArdle argued.
Ex-Wallabies star Tim Horan replied: "That's when the TMO should have a really quick look. Most of them around the world are very good, have a quick look as you're walking back before the player has taken the conversion. That's when you have a quick look.
"Maybe he's done that and maybe he's got in the ears of Jaco Peyper and said: 'No, it is a try.' It looked like they were struggling with the comms to the referee.
Pumas coach Michael Cheika at CommBank Stadium. Getty
"A magnificent match from Argentina - Michael Cheika coached that side," he added.
"They were physical. They were dominant. A couple of really good tries in that second half turned it for the Argentinians."
Asked post-match about the incident, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones wouldn't be drawn either way to make a call on the try.
The Pumas celebrate a try by Juan Martin Gonzalez during the Rugby Championship match between Australia and Argentina. Jason McCawley via Getty Images
"I'm not going to go into that, mate," he said.
"You take the good with the bad. If it's a bad decision, so be it. If it was a good decision, so be it."
Argentina beat 34-31 in a rollercoaster match.
It started strong for the Wallabies with Len Ikitau scoring the opening try for the home side but not without injuring his shoulder in the process.
The star centre tried to play on but eventually left the field and was later taken to hospital for an evaluation.
Australia held a 10-0 lead after the first quarter but the Pumas eventually drew level after a Jeronimo de la Fuente try, who burst by Valetini and Nic White.
The Wallabies looked like they might extend their lead when runaway substitute Carter Gordon intercepted the ball and sprinted for the try line, only to have his heels clipped and sent into touch by the chasing Lucio Cinti.
The floodgates soon opened. Pumas captain Julian Montoya got first blood in the second half after he drove himself over the line off the back of a ruck.
Australia responded and it was all-square again after 53 minutes when White spun off the back of a scrum and found a gap to score a try.
A penalty edged Argentina ahead by three points and then that grew to a 10-point advantage as winger Mateo Carreras left Dave Porecki for dead and scored.
Again, Australia responded and this time some scintillating teamwork by Quade Cooper and Marika Koroibete set Samu Kerevi up for a try, taking the score to 27-24 to the visitors with eight minutes remaining.
The Wallabies thought they had it sewn up when Nawaqanitawase ran three-quarters of the field with an intercept to make the score 31-27 with four minutes to go.
However, the decisive Gonzalez try came just minutes later, dashing the Wallabies' hopes.
Australia will have a week off before hosting New Zealand at the MCG in the first leg of the Bledisloe Cup on July 29.
They'll then head to Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 5.
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