The Wallabies players need to stand up and take responsibility for their fortunes in Salta in one of the most pivotal Tests in recent memory, lock Adam Coleman says.
Pressure has been heaped on Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and his assistants as the side stares down the barrel of their first Rugby Championship wooden spoon.
The buck inevitably stops with coaches whenever a team finds itself under heat but dropped balls and missed tackles are often nothing to do with the men holding the clipboards.
As they face Mario Ledesma’s Argentina, there are inevitable comparisons about Australia's pack under his leadership and the impact his loss has had on the team.
Coleman praised new forwards coach Simon Raiwalui, who joined the team in June.
"Simon’s done a tremendous job here with our forwards. Very similar coaching style (to Mario), great attitude," he said.
"The coaches have really given the players the ability to choose or have input with some detail."
Coleman said players had to put the onus on themselves to perform this weekend.
“It’s just making sure as players we look at ourselves and our own performances before we look somewhere else,” he said.
“You have to hold yourself accountable to what you’re doing and making sure you’re putting your best foot forward and making sure you’re completing your role for the team.
“Not only do we owe it to the coaches but we owe it to ourselves - the boys have done a lot of hard work over the last couple of months - but also to the Australians back home.
“We let them down on home soil so it will be a great opportunity to play Argentina again here and I know the boys are really looking forward to getting on the field this weekend and putting on a good performance.“
A Gold Coast loss to the Pumas in their last outing will go down as one of Australia’s most disappointing, and bizarre, evenings in Test rugby.
That defeat stoked the embers of discontent into a raging fire as the Wallabies left for this South Africa-Argentina tour.
They improved against South Africa in Port Elizabeth but fell short and Coleman said that last Pumas defeat had to be harnessed into something positive this weekend.
“When we lost at home that hurt a lot but just using that and turning that into motivation instead of letting that hurt hold you down, making sure it builds you up to perform the next time you get that opportunity,” he said.
“The boys are really looking forward to this weekend and really looking to enjoy it too.”
The Wallabies take on the Pumas in Salta on Sunday October 7 AEDT, kicking off at 9:40am, LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via Channel Ten.
