Following the Wallabies’ 28-26 defeat to Argentina in Sydney, here’s how we rated Joe Schmidt’s men in the Rugby Championship fixture.
Wallabies player ratings v Argentina
15 Andrew Kellaway: Ran a peach of a line to grab a try for the Wallabies, while on the whole, he covered the backfield well. Made very few, if any, errors from full-back. 7
14 Max Jorgensen: He was isolated but should have known better and duly deserved his yellow card. It’s a harsh law, but one every winger is well aware of. Outside of his visit to the sin bin, it was a solid shift from the rising star. 5
13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii: A mesmerising performance from the million-dollar-plus man who grabbed a stunning try and caused all kinds of havoc for the Pumas’ defence. His support play off the ball will be the envy of many a scrum-halves, while his interplay is on another level. Best Wallaby on the park today. 8
12 Hunter Paisami: Punched into the Pumas defence repeatedly and managed to regularly draw in multiple defenders. Overall, he combined well with Suaalli in the absence of Len Ikitau, but he will rue his kick into the Pumas’ 22 in the first half, which killed off a promising attack. Proved that the Wallabies do have options beyond Ikitau-Suaalii. 7
11 Corey Toole: He really has an impressive ability to launch himself into the skies when competing and did so to great effect for much of his shift. He was also good at scavenging for the loose balls and made some great runs through the Pumas’ defence. However, he conceded two penalties which did not help his side. Replaced on the hour mark. 6
10 Tane Edmed: A stunning 50:22 was one of the few highlights for the young pivot in a frankly nightmarish performance. He was punished for taking his sweet time with his free-kick as Julian Montoya charged down the kick and scored. He also had a mix-up with White in receiving a goal-line dropout, giving the Argentines field position. Throw in a few below-par up-and-unders and clearances, and it was really a game to forget for the fly-half. 3
9 Nic White: The mix-up in the backfield looked to be more his halfback partner’s error rather than his. White’s restarts were nothing short of sublime, putting Rodrigo Isgro under all sorts of pressure. His kicking game was superb throughout his 40-minute shift, and the Wallabies really should have leaned into kicking more from the base. He came up with a smart intercept too to kill a Pumas attack and shot up the line later to force an error from Santi Carreras. Why is he retiring again? It is certainly not because his performances are slipping. 6
Santiago Carreras boots Argentina past Wallabies to blow Rugby Championship wide open
The forward pack
8 Harry Wilson (c): It’s worth remembering that he is still a young captain at Test level, and today it showed as he frankly argued too much with referee Christophe Ridley, frustrating the official. He still has a bit to learn in that regard, but around the park, he remains one of the Wallabies’ most consistent performers and had a solid match in all facets of the game. His lineout work is a real asset for the Australians. 6
7 Fraser McReight: Work-rate, work-rate, work-rate. The Pumas’ back-row might have edged the head-to-head battle in the balance of things, but it was certainly a close call, with McReight having another lively performance. He wasn’t able to claim too many turnovers, but he did pester the Pumas’ attack as he pilfered over. As per usual, he was strong with the ball in hand too and made good decisions on the whole. 6
6 Rob Valetini: Brutally effective with his ball carries, and like Tom Hooper, he got stuck into just about everything. He is a world-class athlete and very rarely has a poor game for the Wallabies, and today was not different. 7
5 Tom Hooper: Another abrasive shift from the lively forward who filled Will Skelton’s void once again and did so well. He topped the tackle count for much of the match despite his substitution in the third quarter and was one of the go-to ball carriers for the hosts. A workmanlike shift from the Wallaby. 7
4 Jeremy Williams: Superb in the lineout, relentless around the park, thundering into contact throughout the match. His obstructing penalty proved incredibly costly as it swung momentum somewhat and ate up the clock as Australia chased another come-from-behind win. That was one of two penalties he conceded. 5
3 Taniela Tupou: A vastly improved shift compared to last week’s disaster-class. He did concede one penalty, which is acceptable, but also claimed a brilliant breakdown turnover in his 22 with his side under the pump. He had some nice touches with the ball in hand, whether that was hammering into the Pumas’ defence or throwing some slick passes. Replaced at half-time. 7
2 Billy Pollard: While his set-piece work was sharp and accurate, and he was a solid ball carrier, he was guilty of conceding two penalties before being hooked early in the second half. 5
1 James Slipper: Held his own in the scrums, granted neither team really attacked the set-piece. The 149-Test cap veteran made his tackles, carried well and claimed a fantastic mark, a rarity for a prop. Wallabies really couldn’t have asked for more from him. 6
Replacements: The ‘Boomerang Squad’ yet again swung the game back into Australia’s favour as they fought right back into the fixture after trailing by 12 points at the break. Angus Bell and Zane Nonggorr made telling impacts once again, while the change in the half-backs turned the tide completely, with Tate McDermott and James O’Connor almost inspiring the win. Filipo Daugunu showed his ruthlessness, grabbing a brace, while Carlo Tizzano was excellent in his brief cameo. Unfortunately, last week 14 points was doable, but 12 was too much seven days later. 8
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