‘Sour taste’ for Wallabies despite historic series win
Updated . First published
The Wallabies have been left with a “sour taste in the mouth” after failing to put a 13-man Argentina side away.
While Les Kiss’s men finished their two-week tour of Argentina unbeaten, the Wallabies were left to rue what might have been after being forced to settle for a 28-all draw in Mendoza. The draw came after last week’s 27-21 win in Jujuy.
Harry Wilson of Australia and Pablo Matera of Argentina. Getty Images
The frustrating result came despite the home side going down to 13 men for much of the final 10 minutes, after referee James Doleman pinged the side for two deliberate knockdowns in as many minutes. The second infringement also saw the Wallabies awarded a penalty try.
But despite the numerical advantage, the Wallabies couldn’t put the Pumas away as Tom Wright dropped a tricky ball to continue his frustrating evening, before the home side ran down the clock and eventually settled for a draw.
“The Wallabies go to Argentina and don’t lose a game. But it will leave a sour taste in the mouth; they would have wanted more,” declared former Wallaby Morgan Turinui on Stan Sport.
The draw ensured the Wallabies were unbeaten over the past five Tests, with Kiss winning his opening three games before Sunday’s (AEST) result.
Despite winning a trophy for the 1-0 series win, Kiss acknowledged his side had missed a golden opportunity to win a fifth straight Test.
“It’s difficult to come here and do what we did. But talking to some of the lads, we let them off the hook,” he said.
“We were up two tries to nil in that first half and we just gave them field position and gave them opportunity and that brought the crowd back in. It was always going to be a dog fight from then.
“A series win, a trophy, there’s some good stuff in there, but we know we’ve got some work to do.”
Adding to the frustration, the Wallabies will be sweating on the fitness of star playmaker Carter Gordon.
Gordon, who was managed and brought off the bench, finished the game in the dressing sheds after “limping badly.”
It came after the rising playmaker had a tight calf earlier in the week.
Carter Gordon (R) failed to finish the Test against the Pumas. Getty Images
In better news, the man who wore the No.10 jersey, Ben Donaldson, had a positive return to the run-on side after earning his first start of the year.
Earlier, the Wallabies eventually struck first through Wilson in the 20th minute. The No.8’s try came minutes after he was denied a try.
The home side went down to 14 men when Doleman had enough and showed lock Franco Molina a yellow card.
The Wallabies quickly made the most of the numerical advantage, as Max Jorgensen scored out wide.
But the momentum turned quickly as the home side finally got their hands on the ball and went to work.
Eventually, the pressure told, with Wallabies lock Jeremy Williams being shown a yellow card for cynical play at the breakdown. Moments later, Pumas captain Pablo Matera crashed over in the 36th minute.
The Pumas then made the most of a couple of poor moments from Tom Wright, where the home side scored first phase from a lovely lineout play as Ignacio Mendy scored to help level the scores.
Wright’s horror finish to the first half continued when the Wallabies fullback gave away a penalty when in possession and time up for making contact with Argentina halfback Simon Benitez Cruz’s jaw with his elbow.
Kiss’s men breathed a sigh of relief when Argentina couldn’t get on the outside of the Wallabies and lost possession.
In a tense second half, the Wallabies scored first through Fraser McReight when the cunning flanker got through and under Argentina’s goal-line defence to score in the 48th minute. Lonergan’s third conversion gave the visitors a 21-14 lead.
But the home side then took control as hooker Ignacio Ruiz scored in the 55th minute, before captain Matera grabbed his second to give the home side the lead for the first time in the match.
The game turned again when outside centre Lucio Cinti stuck out a hand and was pinged and shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-down.
Seconds later, the Pumas went down to 13 after Santiago Carreras was also pinged for a deliberate knockdown. Rubbing salt into the wound, Doleman awarded the Wallabies a penalty try to see the game locked up at 28-all.
Needing to get their hands on the ball, Argentina’s captain Matera stood up once again to win possession for the home side.
Fraser McReight continued his tryscoring form for the Wallabies. Getty Images
Eventually, the Wallabies won it back through Charlie Cale to help the visitors pin the home side deep in their own half. It looked like being a potentially match-winning play.
But the Wallabies couldn’t find the killer play, with Wright losing possession before the home side settled for the draw.
Australia 28 (Tries: Wilson, Jorgensen, McReight, penalty try; Cons: Lonergan 3/3) Argentina 28 (Tries: Matera 2, Mendy, Ruiz; Cons: Carreras 4/4) in Mendoza. HT: 14-14.
