Rugby Championship 2018: Australia vs Argentina- 3 talking points

Australia lost to Argentina 19-23 in a Rugby Championship match. This loss makes them languish at the bottom of the table after 4 rounds of matches. The Wallabies have also plummeted to the 7th position in the World rankings which is an all-time low for them. Moreover, Michael Cheika now has a less than 50 percent winning record as the Australian coach and it is not acceptable by any means.

The pressure on Cheika would definitely increase now but it cannot be denied that the Pumas have improved significantly under the tutelage of Mario Ledesma, the former assistant coach of the Wallabies. Still, it does not quite explain Cheika’s unimpressive record as the Wallabies coach.

Rugby Australia would perhaps want to persist with Cheika until the 2019 World Cup but things are unlikely to improve for them with Cheika at the helm. Some significant changes need to be made in the team’s set-up to rejuvenate the players and turn things around for the Wallabies. There is no magic pill for success but a stern decision at the correct time might just be the first step towards the right direction.

We would like to take a look at the 3 major talking points from yesterday’s game:

#1 Reece Hodge should be the example to follow for the Wallabies

Reece Hodge

The young players in the Australian team would do well to follow the example of Reece Hodge instead of more experienced and fancied players such as David Pocock, Michael Hooper and Will Genia. Hodge has played only around 20 tests for the Wallabies but has shown considerable character and grit in his relatively short international career so far.

Hodge was instrumental in 2 of the tried scored by the Wallabies against Argentina. He had also scored a try himself against the All Blacks at the Eden Park. He is one of the few Wallabies capable of passing the ball quickly and therefore, an obvious asset for the team. He also has good vision and won’t do a lousy job if he played as the no. 10. The fact that he has a great kick on him adds to his overall value as a player and if his fellow players followed his example and contributed to the team’s cause. Likewise, the Wallabies would have performed significantly better.

#2 It’s time to employ the tap-kicks more often

Bernard Foley

The Wallabies are not going to score more tries unless they use the tap-kicks intelligently while attacking and they will not win more matches unless they score more tries. Almost all the great fly-halfs in the history of rugby have used the tap-kicks judiciously to bolster their teams’ attack. Cheika’s team does not seem to like the idea because of some unknown reason. Both Kurtley Beale and Bernard Foley employ the tap-kicks very scarcely though Foley seems to have the ability to do it more often.

Tap-kicks help a team gain some useful ground and put pressure on the opposition from the line-outs. The fact that the Wallabies have got some pacey wingers like Israel Folau and Marika Koroibete makes the tap-kicks even more relevant for the Aussies. The wingers can be trusted to get hold of the kicked ball and score some vital tries against any opposition. Cheika might continue to put more emphasis on scrums and line-outs but that is not going to win matches for his side.

#3 The Aussie forwards not making enough carries

David Pocock

The Australian forwards hardly score any tries off the scrums or breakdowns and they do not carry the ball enough, either. The job of a forward does not begin and end with the set-pieces but they should have some contribution to make during the open play as well. There is not a Kevin Mealamu or Owen Franks or Malcolm Marx in the Wallabies’ line-up and that makes them solely dependent on their defenders for scoring a try. David Pocock, the Australian no. 8, is superb in breakdowns but does not usually get himself in try scoring positions. Compare that with the Kiwi No. 8 Kieran Read, who has scored a staggering 24 tries in his international career.

Will Genia scores some vital tries and makes some significant carries in the opposition half and often looks the most useful player during the attacking scrums and breakdowns. But he seems to be the only one who is capable of doing so. The Wallabies would have to address this issue and their forwards should involve themselves more in ball-carrying and breaching the opposition defence.