Wallabies vs Los Pumas: Mendoza Reflections

1     The loose-forward trio Australia had on the field for the last 27 minutes – Michael Hooper at openside, Dean Mumm at blindside, and David Pocock at 8 – looks lethal. Highly as Michael Cheika rates Scott Fardy, it will be tempting to start Hooper, Mumm, Pocock against New Zealand on 8 August.

2     Pocock’s 18 tackles attempted, 18 completed tells a story. The four Argentina loose-forwards (one as a sub) managed 15 total amongst them all.

3     The Wallaby flyhalf selection is far from settled, with neither Quade Cooper last week nor Bernard Foley this week all that convincing. And goalkicking remains an issue.

4     Cheika may well be apoplectic about a few of the penalties conceded by the Wallabies, most especially Israel Folau taking a player out in the air and Will Skelton’s headlock strangle, each coming when the game was tight and Wallabies were on penalty advantage, and Quade Cooper’s yellow card for a dangerous tackle.

5     Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe is a universally respected loose-forward but openside is not his best position. The Pumas need a genuine openside flank, with Lobbe at blindside or number eight.

6     Martin Landajo showed in his hour on the field that he is a potential Puma kingpin against the Springboks in Durban and Buenos Aires and at the World Cup. Los Pumas would benefit from him getting more game-time.

7    Argentina’s inability to create attacking opportunities and score tries, other than through their lineout driving maul against New Zealand, is their biggest problem. Their backs appear not to have the flair and skill to beat defenders, which means they will struggle to win games against any of the top nations.