The Wallabies continued their impressive return to form on Saturday, beating Los Pumas 28-24 in front of a packed crowd at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Here are our winners and losers.
Winners
Harry Wilson
Although he was possibly outshone in terms of performance by the world-class Fraser McReight, Wilson had possibly more of an impact on the match than anyone else. It was Wilson’s decision to go for the corner in the dying minutes that eventually secured victory for the Wallabies, as he elected not to take the points and, as a by-product, a draw, but instead believed that his team could get the try to win the game. His boldness and hyped up leadership resulted in a remarkable, and until 30 minutes prior, unlikely victory.
Angus Bell
A halftime substitute, the prop was instrumental in shoring up the Wallabies scrum after a half under the cosh. But it was his extra time try that won the game for his side which will be remembered for years to come. After plenty of pressure from the hosts, Bell used all his momentum to power over between two Argentine players, to take Australia temporarily into second place in the table.
Wallabies scrum-halves
There will once again be plenty to say about the flair that James O’Connor brings to the Wallabies, but this time it was the indirect combination of Nic White and Tate McDermott that set the tone for the immense comeback. The recently retired/returned White helped to keep his side within touching distance in an otherwise choppy first half, getting on the scoresheet and helping organise a lethargic forward pack. His younger teammate entered the field in his place on the 50-minute mark just as the tide was starting to turn, helping to turn the screw on a much more assured and lively second-half performance.
Pumas midfield
There’s something special about seeing a group of players so in sync that even mistakes end up working in their favour. Santiago Carreras, Santiago Chocobares and Lucio Cinti were simply seamless in the first half, dominating the Wallabies’ defence as they turned their would-be tacklers inside and out. It was their impressive cohesion that allowed their teammates to build such a strong first-half lead.
Joseph Suaalii
Each game he plays, he seems to be getting better. His first try was an easy one to collect; his second was anything but. He made one noticeable mistake during the match, an offload that was more 30:70 than 50:50, but otherwise, he looked more assured and confident than ever. Joseph Suaalii is the future of Australian rugby.
Losers
Taniela Tupou
The giant prop made an illegal no-arms tackle in the opening minutes, giving away a penalty right in front of the Australian posts. From then on, his performance was littered with mistakes. He looked flustered and unpredictable, as simple knock-ons became a staple of his game and panicked passes became the norm. He was removed at the half, not a moment too soon.
Tom Lynagh
Why Joe Schmidt chose Tom Lynagh to start ahead of the world-class talent James O’Connor is anyone’s guess, but whatever the reasoning, it did not pay off. The son of former Wallabies great Michael Lynagh was a shadow of his father’s greatness. He looked panicked under pressure and was unable to gain any control of the match. His missed touch early into the second half resulted in a 40-metre return from Los Pumas – criminal. The 22-year-old has been given plenty of opportunities to star in the gold of Australia, but has failed to elicit anything more than a limp ‘I’ll give it a go’ from his efforts. Surely this experiment is over, at least for the time being.
Rob Valetini
With the absence of Will Skelton, Rob Valetini needed to step up and bring the physicality to the game. Instead, he looked like a limp fish as the speed of the Pumas’ attack left him struggling against the current.
Pumas bench
When your team goes from being ahead by two tries at half-time to losing the game by full-time, it’s very easy to look at the bench and pinpoint exactly where it went wrong. Today was no different. The exit of scrum half Gonzalo Garcia, outside centre Lucio Cinti and prop Mayco Vivas signalled the beginning of the end for Argentina. The visitors were fully in control of the match before the changes were rung, with each of those stars playing important roles in the early lead. With their removal, so was the Pumas’ control of the match, with the new blood not prepared to play at the same intensity.