Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Errors, injuries and a poor start were the talking points of Argentina’s performance this morning in Perth. The South Americans lost 36-20 to Australia in Perth in the fourth round of the Rugby Championship.
A diabolical opening to the match from los Pumas saw Australia scoring in the first minute. In what can only now be described as a serious flaw Argentina again conceeded multiple early tries. The same is true vs Australia in Rosario in 2012 and 2013, in Mendoza in 2014 and 2015 and in London in last year’s Rugby World Cup Semi Final.
Yet again Argentine errors gifted Australia points and from there it was an uphill battle. In the end Argentina dominated yet lost by 16 points. Indeed Los Pumas enjoyed a staggering 68% of possession and 67% territory.
But having to come back from 21-0 is simply an extraordinary task. So poor were Daniel Hourcade’s players that after 12 minutes Australia had three converted tries. They would score fifteen more points while Argentina would score 20.
Hourcade slammed his players. “It was not good, not at all. We started terribly… We conceeded 21 points from simple plays“. After just 45 seconds Fijian Samu Kerevi scored for Australia. It came from an error from Joaquín Tuculet whose poor kick ultimately resulted in the try.
It went from bad to worse eight minutes later. Quade Cooper showed his calss to break into the Pumas 22 and offload to Dane Haylett-Petty. The South African born winger could not believe his luck. Next to score was Will Genia. The Stade Français number 9 also had no trouble in crossing.
Australia wanted more points and with it came penalties. Props Sekope Kepu and Scott Sio were both on the wrong side of referee Wayne Barnes’ decisions. With penalties mounting the latter was yellow carded. It saw Argentina opening their account with Nicolás Sánchez kicking his first penalty.
A second followed to make it a 21-6 scoreline at the interval. An unhappy Hourcade asked his players to fight back and the second half started well. Following a break from Tuculet the South Americans went over. Santiago Cordero’s effort made it a 21-13 ball game.
Australia cancelled it out smartly with Genia grabbing his second. An additional try from Michael Hooper took the result to beyond doubt before Facundo Isa ended the scoring with a late try.
Los Pumas will now fly home to prepare to face New Zealand. The Buenos Aires test match will be played on 01. The Wallabies will face South Africa away on the same day.
Questions remain as to the fitness of a number of players. Juan Martín Hernández, Guido Petti and Jerónimo de la Fuente all missed today’s game through injury. Agustín Creevy, Facundo Isa, Martín Landajo and Juan Manuel Leguizamón all join them as being in doubt for Argentina’s next match.
SCORERS
AUSTRALIA
Tries: Kerevi, Haylett-Petty, Genia (2), Hooper
Conversion: Foley (4)
Penalty: Hodge
Yellow Cards: Sio, Cooper
ARGENTINA
Try: Cordero, Isa
Conversion: Sanchez (2)
Penalty: Sanchez (2)
AUSTRALIA
15 Israel Folau, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Samu Kerevi, 12 Bernard Foley, 11 Reece Hodge, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dean Mumm, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Stephen Moore (capt.), 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 James Slipper, 18 Tom Robertson, 19 Rory Arnold, 20 Lopeti Timani, 21 Sean McMahon, 22 Nick Phipps, 23 Tevita Kuridrani
ARGENTINA
15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Santiago González Iglesias, 11 Lucas González Amorosino, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Juan Manuel Leguízamon, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matías Alemanno, 4 Javier Ortega Desio, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustín Creevy (capt.), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Lucas Noguera Paz, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Gabriel Ascarate, 23 Matías Orlando
