NEWS-FINANCE -QUOTE-EDUCATIONAL AND MOTIVATIONAL
Key events
Half-time: Australia 7-21 Argentina
After a stop-start half full of errors, penalties, and reset scrums, it’s Argentina who head to the air conditioned changing rooms with a healthy 14-point advantage.
40 mins: That decision turns out to be a dreadful one as Argentina are penalised as the scrum is being set and Australia kick to touch to bring a chastening half to its conclusion.
39 mins: Australia do well to slow the ball down on halfway but the box kick lands in blue hands and White is penalised on the ground in kickable range. Carreras dribbles a kick through the line that Kellaway does well to gather but Argentina are then quickest to the ruck. Instead of the three-point penalty the Pumas accept a 5m scrum deep in the left corner.
37 mins: Again Australia go to their backs and make good ground until Kellaway kicks straight to his direct opponent. The Pumas regain possession, the Wallabies are offside, and Argentina are back on attack.
PENALTY! Australia 7-21 Argentina (Carreras, 36)
From just to the right of the posts 30m out Carreras continues his excellent half with the boot.
33 mins: Australia are shellshocked. Kellaway and Lynagh try to run their way out of defence and get it all wrong. Eventually the latter is mauled at the breakdown and Carreras has another golden opportunity to extend Argentina’s lead.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 7-18 Argentina (Carreras, 31)
UNBELIEVABLE TRY! This is champagne rugby from Argentina! Another costly error in possession from the Wallabies allows the Pumas another scrum feed on halfway. This time they break to the left and Cinti is the man who unlocks the Australian defence. With all the momentum and runners on the burst the visiting backs just keep the ball alive in contact, offloading like Harlem Globetrotters to the left touchline, then looping p***es back infield until Mateo Carreras bashes over. Wonderful free-flowing running rugby.
Argentina go bang-bang. And this time Carreras adds the extras.
TRY! Australia 7-11 Argentina (Delguy, 29)
The sands of time ebb away as Argentina’s scrum is set and reset. Eventually the ball comes out in the nick of time and the scintillating Chocobares times his burst to perfection to hit the ball on the run and carve open the Australian defence. It’s then a catch-and-p*** training drill through a couple of pairs of hands to allow Delguy to cross near the right corner. Beautiful crisp set-play rugby, orchestrated by Garcia behind the scrum.
The conversion misses the right upright by a matter of millimetres.
28 mins: The Wallabies clear to halfway then try to work through the phases infield off the lineout but are soon in quicksand. Valetini then spills in contact as Vivas executes a routine tackle.
26 mins: Argentina get a decent look from the restart, working through phases from right to left. Sua’ali’i stands up well to a rampaging drive from Kremer, then McReight is quickest to the breakdown and earns his side a clearing penalty.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 7-6 Argentina (White, 24)
Straight after the drinks break Australia score the first try of the day! From a 15m lineout Wilson breaks off the back to gain ten metres. Argentina are offside trying to regroup as White looks to the short side for Frost on the burst. He draws in bodies but White is quick in support and snatches the opportunity to pick the ball off the turf and dive over the line. Excellent alertness from the home No 9.
Lynagh strokes over an easy couple of points from just left of the posts.
Australia’s discipline at the breakdown has been poor and their forwards are making no inroads at the gainline without the hulk of Skelton. The backline has looked lively but haven’t seen enough of the ball yet to cause much danger.
24 mins: Lynagh now takes a good contested high ball and Argentina are too eager at the breakdown, allowing Australia to kick to touch deep on the left.
Drinks break.
22 mins: Jorgensen claims a box kick superbly just inside Argentina’s half to give his side some go-forward but the promising attack is curtailed when Sua’ali’i is penalised for a sloppy offside. Argentina can’t capitalise. This is a scrappy error-strewn contest.
20 mins: The lineout is short and effective. Argentina threaten to steer the maul into touch but the ball comes out and White threatens to darts through. The Pumas regroup, and again demonstrate their superb defence in tight, denying Australia any momentum and eventually earning a penalty on the ground as the phases grind to a halt.
Wilson might rue that decision to decline points.
18 mins: Australia soon earn a penalty advantage after claiming the long dropout, which they accept after another series of fruitless one-out drives. The Wallabies are grinding but struggling to pierce this defensive line.
Wilson shows intent by declining the three points on offer and instead kicking to the right corner for a 5m lineout.
16 mins: The scrum is refreshingly drama free and Australia get to work on the left edge with repeat slow one-out play. Argentina’s defensive line and work at the breakdown is superb. Eventually White decides his forwards are banging their heads against a brick wall and dabs a rugby league-style grubber towards the in-goal area that Mallia is forced to dab down and concede a dropout.
14 mins: Argentina deal with a deep restart and kick towards halfway. Molina then does superbly to erupt from an Australian ruck and swat the ball back his side’s way. The clearing kick changes the direction of play but Kellaway runs it back at speed, offloading to McReight, then Wilson, to build attacking territory. The drive comes to a halt over on the left wing near attacking 22 for an Australian scrum.
PENALTY! Australia 0-6 Argentina (Carreras, 12)
42m out, 15m in from the left touchline, and Carreras rides the breeze superbly to double Argentina’s advantage.
10 mins: The second scrum of the day, like the first, has to be reset. When White finally feeds it there’s an even amount of force until both front rows concertina upwards and we have a third feed. This one is allowed to play and the Wallabies split at pace from right to left. This is crisp from Australia – until the final p*** to Toole from Sua’ali’i is too high and powerful, forcing the winger to cling on off-balance and hurl the ball back into play straight to a blue jersey to avoid going into touch. Argentina counter while the Wallabies regroup and gain a penalty advantage just after halfway. This is just about kickable.
8 mins: Another excellent lineout from Argentina sets Chocobares on the burst in midfield. The Pumas sense an opportunity and go through hands to the left wing only for Cinti to drop a chest p*** just inside Australian territory.
7 mins: Argentina get the first scrum feed of the day, on their own 22, and it looks susceptible to a powerful Australian shove, but that drive is penalised for not coming in square and the Pumas can kick clear again.
PENALTY! Australia 0-3 Argentina (Carreras, 5)
Argentina win their first throw and get to work in midfield until Sua’ali’i nails a beautiful ball and all hit. Some powerful rucking gets the Pumas inside the 22 but after shifting back inside with a one-out runner McReight is too quick jackaling at the breakdown and earns the referee’s arm. However, the TMO then gets involve for an infringement against Tupou on the ground. The decision is reversed and Argentina get a shot for goal from point blank range. Santiago Carreras makes no mistake.
2 mins: Argentina fumble the kick-off on their own 22 and Australia are immediately on the front foot. Two quick phases are stalled by a poor p*** from White and Argentina ***ert themselves in defence with a couple of m***ive hits, one on Frost and one on Ikitau. Robertson is then penalised at the breakdown and the Pumas can clear.
Today’s referee is Paul Williams from New Zealand, by the way.
Kick-off!
18 minutes later than advertised round three of the Rugby Championship is under way…
As Argentina’s invigorating anthem rolls around North Queensland Stadium the TV cameras locate a very animated and noisy knot of travelling fans. They are located in the open north-eastern end of the stadium so hopefully they have slip slop slapped.
Now we see them, striding out past the delightfully kitsch Puma Trophy.
Ten minutes after the advertised start time, still no sign of either team on the Townsville turf.
Much to my disappointment, Argentina have mothballed one of the most beautiful jerseys in international sport for today’s fixture. Instead of the usual powder blue and white hoops, Los Pumas will wear an all-navy number.
The Wallabies will be in traditional gold with green accents.
Australia’s coach Joe Schmidt has had a few words with the host broadcaster.
Confidence comes from a long way back that we’re building as we go along. We built through the Lions series, we built through South Africa even though we won the first game and lost the second game, the second game was three tries apiece, and had a kick to go ahead with about 12 to go. That could have swung things around. So we know we’re not always going to get the margins in our favour, so we’ve got to work hard enough to get enough margins that it doesn’t matter to the end result if we do miss a couple. That takes a lot of hard work, and I’ve no doubt that the players are ready roll their sleeves up today.
We’re going to have to be ready to cover the field with their [Argentina’s] kicking game and at the same time front up to whatever they’ll bring in in their carry and clearout… we’ve got to be ready for both.
Conditions in Townsville may not be conducive to high-octane rugby. The temperature is pushing 30C and there’s a decent easterly breeze blowing across the 25,000 capacity venue.
North Queensland Stadium has hosted one previous Wallabies fixture, back during the Covid disruption of 2021, and that also happened to be against the Pumas. On that occasion Australia ran out 27-8 winners, but it was night memorable more for the early contest between New Zealand and South Africa that was snatched by the All Blacks with a last gasp penalty.
Argentina XV
Santiago Carreras comes in at fly-half with Tomas Albornoz nursing a hand injury. Blindside flanker Marcos Kremer returns, prop Joel Sclavi will start, Geronimo Prisciantelli should debut off the bench while loosehead Boris Wenger will also earn his first cap after playing in the unofficial Test victory over the Lions.
Argentina: 1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 3 Joel Sclavi, 4 Franco Molina, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 6 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Pablo Matera, 9 Gonzalo Garcia, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Juan Cruz Mallia.
Bench: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Joaquin Ovideo, 21 Agustin Moyano, 22 Geronimo Prisciantelli, 23 Benjamin Elizalde
Australia XV
Andrew Kellaway is first in line to audition for the 15 jersey after regular fullback Tom Wright suffered a devastating ACL injury against the Springboks. Elsewhere in the backline Tom Lynagh returns from concussion to nudge James O’Connor to the pine, while further forward, Harry Wilson has recovered from a knee injury to resume captaincy duties. He comes into the XV in place of Will Skelton, who is back in France playing club rugby.
Australia: 1 Tom Robertson, 2 Billy Pollard, 3 Taniela Tupou, 4 Nick Frost, 5 Tom Hooper, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (captain), 9 Nic White, 10 Tom Lynagh, 11 Corey Toole, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Max Jorgensen, 15 Andrew Kellaway.
Bench: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Carlo Tizzano, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 James O’Connor, 23 Filipo Daugunu.
Pedant’s whinge here (cue the tiny violins). Kick-off is advertised as 2:30pm. The host broadcaster has a countdown clock indicating the actual start time won’t be until 2:47pm. This minor inconvenience irritates me no end. Rugby Australia, Channel Nine, it just makes you look shifty – cut it out.
There’s plenty of context to today’s encounter.
In The Rugby Championship each team has played two, won one lost one, with only bonus points separating the four combatants.
On the World Rugby rankings, Australia (6th place) lead Argentina (7th place) by just 1.45 points.
This could prove significant at the 2027 World Cup. With the tournament expanding to 24 teams for the first time, the group phase will feature six pools of four nations. The six top-ranked sides in the world will be separated at this stage of the draw, and if early matches go to form, they should also avoid each other in the first knockout stage (round of 16). The ranking cut-off point for this huge advantage is December 2025.
Rankings points are traded during each Test. These are based on the match result, the relative strength of each team, the margin of victory, and there is an allowance for home advantage. In short, this means underdog victories are worth their weight in gold, while upsets at home can prove very costly.
For example, the Wallabies gained a maximum 3.0 ranking points for their 15+ point victory away to the much higher-ranked Springboks recently, but lost only 0.23 for the narrow defeat that followed.
This formula means Australia are effectively defending ranking points over the next fortnight, while Argentina have a couple of free hits.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Australia v Argentina in round three of the 2025 Rugby Championship. Kick-off at North Queensland Stadium in Townsville is 2:30pm (AEST).
The Wallabies are back – literally, and, it would appear, metaphorically. Following a historic trip to South Africa, Australia welcome Argentina for a double-header with expectations higher than at any point in almost a decade.
The 22-38 triumph over the World Cup holders at Ellis Park three weeks ago follows on from a deserved final Test victory over the British and Irish Lions, concluding a three-match series that contained plenty of reasons to be cheerful.
Joe Schmidt’s work behind the scenes is clearly paying off, while access to the best Australians playing overseas has elevated a willing mob into one sprinkled with stardust. As Daniel Gallan wrote following the comeback over the Springboks: “Maybe a team with a solid set-piece, a totem in the lineout, berserkers at the breakdown, ballers in the midfield and dazzlers in the backfield are simply a formidable outfit that deserve more respect than they’ve been shown.”
The challenge now is to embrace that expectation and deliver as favourites, an unfamiliar sensation after five consecutive matches grinding as underdogs.
Doing so without Will Skelton increases the degree of difficulty. The man mountain has been key to Australia’s resurgence but with his bulk back in La Rochelle the Wallaby pack is less potent. And there remains the challenge of establishing a long-term partnership in the halves. 35-year-old Nic White retains the No 9 jersey despite announcing his international retirement in August, and he will partner 22-year-old Tom Lynagh in Townsville, after spending the South African tour alongside fellow veteran James O’Connor.
White and Lynagh will have their hands full against an Argentina side relishing their own historic success after they defeated New Zealand on home soil for the first time a fortnight ago.
Los Pumas boast a fearsome experienced pack, and the Wallabies will be all too aware of the try-scoring potential outside after Argentina ran in nine this time last year when the fixture was played in Santa Fe.
Australia appear to have come on in leaps and bounds since that record defeat. The next couple of hours will begin to reveal if there is substance behind that ***umption, or whether Australian rugby is again tormented by another false dawn.
If you want to get in touch this afternoon, the address is jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
