The Wallabies have produced another proud victory with dominating possession and hard running hit ups, finally ending a run of two drawn games against Argentina with a 27-8 win.
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It was the first time the Wallabies have won three in a row since 2017 and they are looking more and more dangerous as the weeks go on.
So, what did we learn from the Wallabies first visit to Townsville?
1 Forwards going forward
The Wallabies forwards being led by Hooper, Tupou and Valetini displayed hard, aggressive, bulldozing go forward running.
Australia’s attacking structure revolves heavily around the forwards going forward and creating space for Quade and the outside backs and against the Pumas, they showed us how dangerous they can be once they start going forward.
Their ball carrier and support built momentum and territory and created lightning quick service for White and McDermott to distribute clean ball to the backs.
This physical running took a toll on the Argentinians and their endurance. For the Wallabies, it transitioned into an impenetrable defensive line, with quick line speed and aggressive tackling.
2. Value of an experienced backline
Cooper (72 caps) and White (41 caps) controlled the game from the start, the pace and execution. Both players didn’t push the ball when it wasn’t on and didn’t take an unnecessary hit up.
Quade’s quick distribution allowed Kerevi (36 caps) and Hodge (51 caps) to help Ikitau and Kellaway find space and opportunities. Kerevi’s ability to go forward always gives White or Quade an option that is extremely safe and highly rewarding.
Koroibete (41 tests) continued with another high performance, his endurance and ability to be everywhere gave Australia a sense of always having an extra player on the field.
With 10 minutes left and 13 phases under the belt, O’Connor (55 caps) showed his maturity by sitting in the pocket and orchestrating a beautiful inside ball to Kellaway for a try. His distribution and tempo were out of sync at times, but that’s understandable for a player returning from injury.
3. Reece Hodge
Hodge locks down the fullback position with a valuable and balanced performance.
Questions arose during the week about who would fill in for Banks and Hodge has shown us just how valuable he is.
His performance under the high ball was an improvement from the week before and his ability to create space for Kellaway and Koroibete was flawless.
His big boot provided Australia with much needed territory when they were deep in their half and allowed them to get onto the front foot with long touch finders.
4. Tupou’s ticker
Taniela Tupou played 74 mins against last week against the Springboks and he produced another stellar effort with a 63 min performance.
A prop weighing over 130kg and playing at a high intensity and quality of rugby for over an hour is something that Australian fans are getting quite familiar with.
Tupou is arguably one of the best front rowers in the world, his size, pace, scrummaging and ball handling skills amongst his ability to play over an hour at full pelt, makes him an unstoppable force on the rugby field.
This is raising the bar for front rowers in today’s day and age.
5. Winning is contagious
The last time the Wallabies won three tests in a row was 2017, yes 2017!
37-20 vs Argentina
23-18 vs New Zealand
63-30 vs Japan
With two very impressive wins of the World Champions South Africa, the Wallabies have taken a liking to that victory feeling.
The cool calm collected Cooper and Hooper combination both manage this team wonderfully on the field. They are learning to be patient, create opportunities and grind out a win.
Rennie and his staff are obviously doing the correct things behind the scenes and their trust and confidence in their young players is paying off.
This contagious sensation radiates around the team and rubs off on the fans and population of Australia.
Who wouldn’t want to talk about the Wallabies? They are exciting, aggressive, dominant and more importantly consistent.
