Argentina's win over Australia eclipsed All Blacks' first defeat in 22 matches, says Stuart Barnes
Tuesday 7 October 2014 11:05, UK
Where to start on the events of the weekend?
Under usual circumstances this would be a rhetorical question on a weekend where the All Blacks lose. Steve Hansen’s team suffered only their second defeat since the 2011 World Cup and this time there has been no talk of upset stomachs (notable theories that link their last defeat at Twickenham in 2012 with their most painful defeat at Ellis Park itself in the World Cup final of 1995.)
The All Black coach said that in his heart he knew the Springboks deserved the win. The head tells the same story. The South African team found a level of form that has eluded them this calendar year to remind the world that the All Blacks are beatable.
Yet it is not South Africa but Argentina where perhaps the most significant rugby global event occurred. On the 18th time of asking Argentina won a Rugby Championship match. Against a Wallaby team damaged with the drip feed of yellow cards the 21-17 margin may not look the most conclusive but it was the matter and not the manner of victory that will count for so much.
It took a while but it slowly dawned on the Pumas that the set piece alone would not suffice, especially against powerhouses like the Springboks and New Zealand
Argentina are the England of the Southern Hemisphere, the team with traditional for conservative forward-based rugby that has been pushing the boundaries of their game in recent years. Although they had to wait until the final game of the Rugby Championship to record that win, they have played their most adventurous season of Test-match rugby to date. Throwing the ball around for the sake of entertainment is not what this column advocates but having an ability to vary the tactics when the opposing team compete with your strengths (in this instance the mighty Argentine scrum) is essential if a team wishes to be more than the neighbourhood bully.
It took a while but it slowly dawned on the Pumas that the set piece alone would not suffice, especially against powerhouses like the Springboks and New Zealand. Even Australia, with their Heath Robinson-put-together scrum, has only lost to them at the sixth time of asking.
Victory will give Argentina the belief that was lacking when they had the Springboks there for the taking earlier this season. Their 34th-minute try was proof that Argentina has a scrum that is a weapon in its own right but one the backs can now utilise. This extra breadth will make them, in time, an infinitely more difficult team to beat. What the Pumas must put right on their European tour is their breakdown work, which is a shadow of the brilliant breakdown that took them to the World Cup semi-finals in France 2007.
The flip side of this match is the evidence that beneath the plaster the Wallaby scrum wound remains deep. One year out from Wales and England at the pool stages and Ewen McKenzie has a fight against the odds to survive the ordeal by scrum. Argentina destroyed their scrum although a 20th-minute set piece on the Wallaby five-metre line was a classic case of quintessential Australian scrum work. Australia concede a penalty as they retreat at a rate of knots, Argentina reset from the penalty, the scrum collapses, Australia win a free kick and clear their lines, the world wondering why Argentina would want to drop the scrum.
Survival by scrum will be the Australian password although McKenzie might think that injuries for England and an ageing front row for Wales will make the ordeal a less painful one than scrums against Argentina tend to be. The two Wallaby tries in the first quarter of the game were a reminder that elsewhere McKenzie has vastly improved his team from the shambles the Lions left in their wake in 2013.
Mixed feelings
To Johannesburg now and the best match in the world this year; it looked a different sport. The power, pace and precision of the home side in the first half, the clinical brilliance of New Zealand’s fight back, the whole damn show. It was rugby as the game of the Gods. Congratulations to both teams; to the rest of the world, these are the standards, to South Africa maintaining them is the key. That is what they have yet to prove.
Nearer home, mixed feelings in Bath where mental toughness and tactical acumen were to the fore in their conclusive defeat of Saracens. Unfortunately, Sam Burgess was damaging a cheekbone in the NFL Grand Final win on behalf of the Rabbitohs. Apparently the damage was done in the first few minutes. A lesser (or sane!) man might have protected himself and retreated from the fray but Burgess played it out with his mates; his start for Bath might be delayed but what a display of the right stuff.
Quite what the West Country team will do if he is a hit in the centre is the English conundrum of the season as the Ford-Eastmond-Joseph axis continues to flourish.
Quite what Leinster were doing is another lingering question from the weekend. Tactically undermined by a Munster team that reverted to old-fashioned pick-and-drive and dogged combat at the breakdown, the Pro 12 champions failed to rebalance their breakdown numbers and compete harder. With an Irish Lion captaining from Number 8 one wonders what happened to the rugby intellect expected from such a team with so many experienced men.
That question has been asked of Munster in recent years. On Saturday they looked into their past and found an answer. Looking ahead from a Sky perspective, we head to Ulster (as well as Edinburgh) next weekend for the visit of Glasgow. The Scottish team wins my vote for the smartest Guinness Pro 12 team of the season to date. They’ll need to be smart and much more with Ravenhill their biggest test of the season to date.
The week after this match is Europe, and Glasgow go into battle in a pool comprising Bath, Montpellier and Toulouse...these professionals earn their money.
Stuart answers your emails...
Got a question for Stuart? Email him at skysportsclub@bskyb.com or use the feedback form below.
Hi Stuart, with England’s continued refusal to pick players based overseas do you think that Steffon Armitage (the best back row forward in Europe) will switch to playing for France and if so what is your opinion on this? I think that the England management are a disgrace for allowing this to happen; other countries would not have allowed it. Norman
STUART SAYS: Norman, I think Stuart Lancaster should have made an earlier bid to lure Steffon Armitage into the picture but now that he has thrown his lot in with France it would be wrong to pick him. I think it is ludicrous the sport allows its obsession with Olympics Sevens to dictate its qualifications rulings. Once a player has represented one country that is it...but given the opportunity and Armitage's willingness to take the loop hole, I think the entire England squad would have their noses out of collective joint were he to re-engage with England. Lancaster will not pick him now. Twelve months ago was another matter, now he is right to dismiss him.
Stuart, I have always believed in promotion/relegation from the Premiership, however with the gap so great between London Welsh, Newcastle and the rest of the league, a gap that is only going to get bigger with the increase in the salary cap, is it not time to consider a "closed" league? LW & Newcastle have limited resources and support (the planned extension at Franklins Gardens will accommodate more supporters than were present at the LW v Gloucester match, a local derby) – Newcastle only attracted 5,000 supporters against Saints, who are the Prem champions. Bristol & Worcester have the resources, stadia & support to become strong again and would add to the Prem if they replaced LW & Newcastle. Your thoughts? Saintsman
STUART SAYS: A closed shop is ideal for those who think the sport is business rather than business sport. Draw up the bridge tomorrow and deny a great club with a substantial rugby base like Bristol a chance, or go along with the argument men like Nigel Wray have long advocated and we would have denied Exeter their chance. I still believe sport’s primary results are those on a pitch. Bristol or Worcester will rejoin the Premiership (I suspect) but based on results not resources. Saintsman, stick with your old beliefs my friend, they were sound.
With Munster beating Leinster do you think this is the start of Munster’s season or is this a flash in the pan? What did you think of the four yellow cards – do you think the ref lost control? Chris
STUART SAYS: Chris, it was Munster playing as they should have played most of the last two seasons. I think it marks the era of Anthony Foley if anything. As for the yellow cards, I think Ian Davies was pretty much right with all of them and, BJ Botha apart, I think Foley will have seen the infringements as the calculating decisions they were; mention “discipline” in no more than lip service...yellow cards can be an act of discipline, they were at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.
