Eddie Jones’ Wallabies suffer heartbreaking defeat against Argentina

The Wallabies’ World Cup preparations lay in tatters after a demoralising 34-31 Rugby Championship loss to Argentina in Sydney.

A final-gasp attempt to No.8 Juan Martin Gonzalez broke Australian hearts after recalled winger Mark Nawaqanitawase appeared to have saved the Wallabies’ blushes with a 95-metre intercept attempt with 5 minutes remaining on Saturday evening.

A risky selection call from coach Eddie Jones damage Australia badly as former Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika masterminded the historic Pumas victory at Commbank Stadium.

The stirring comeback win from 10-0 early, then 31-27 late, marked the primary time Argentina have conquered Australia in successive Exams between the 2 nations.

The Pumas pumped the Wallabies 48-17 in San Juan final August earlier than Dave Rennie was sacked as coach and changed by Jones after an unsuccessful spring tour of Europe.

Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika celebrated a well-known win in Sydney

Now, although, Jones faces the grim prospect of taking the Wallabies to France for this yr’s world showpiece with out a win.

Until Australia can rebound from Saturday evening’s defeat and a 43-12 hammering at the hands of South Africa to open the Rugby Championship with success in both of their two looming Bledisloe Cup clashes with the All Blacks, Jones will probably be winless in his second coming as Wallabies coach heading to the World Cup.

Early on, Jones’ 5 crew modifications from final week’s pounding in Pretoria regarded like being a masterstroke as Nawaqanitawase, powerhouse centre Samu Kerevi and large lock Will Skelton all excelled to assist the Wallabies to their 10-0 lead.

A fast faucet and sharp footwork from Nawaqanitawase put Australia deep on the assault and, with the Pumas defence stretched, Quade Cooper discovered Kerevi lurking out huge and the centre’s inside ball was sufficient for Len Ikitau to dive over within the nook within the fourth minute.

However the attempt got here at an enormous value, with Ikitau pressured off shortly after with a shoulder damage sustained whereas scoring and despatched to hospital for scans.

His departure and having no exterior backs on the bench pressured the Wallabies right into a reshuffle with Carter Gordon’s introduction at inside centre breaking apart the potent Cooper-Kerevi midfield partnership.

Your complete complexion of the match modified.

Immediately the Wallabies assault was clunky and disjointed whereas Cooper and Gordon, two playmakers, defensively regarded susceptible alongside one another.

The Wallabies have misplaced each video games beneath Eddie Jones in his second spell in cost

Australia host New Zealand within the subsequent spherical of the Rugby Championship on July 29

Gordon tried his coronary heart out and was solely denied a breakout attempt by a determined ankle faucet, however the 22-year-old was taking part in out of place within the largest match of his life.

The Wallabies discovered themselves hanging on at halftime with a participant down following the sin-binning of lock Richie Arnold for intentionally slowing the ball down.

The Pumas had fought their manner again into the sport by means of a attempt to fullback Emiliano Boffelli, who transformed and added a penalty to depart the match evenly poised at 10-10 on the interval.

The guests hit the entrance for the primary time when hooker Julian Montoya pressured his manner over 5 minutes into the second half earlier than Wallabies halfback Nic White darted over to degree the scores once more.

When winger Mateo Carreras beat a fatiguing Dave Porecki to attain out huge within the 68th minute, Argentina led 26-17.

However a Kerevi attempt, then Nawaqanitawase’s rousing solo effort had Wallabies followers in raptures earlier than the Pumas snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Mark Nawaqanitawase regarded to have received the sport with an excellent attempt 5 minutes from time

‘To sum it up, gutted might be one phrase that involves thoughts,’ stated Wallabies captain James Slipper.

‘We turned up and began taking part in some good rugby however we saved taking strain off the Argentinians and so they saved coming again.

‘Sick self-discipline actually damage us tonight once more – a yellow card and a few penalties put us on the improper finish of the sector and also you simply cannot win Check matches taking part in that type of rugby.

‘There’s fairly a couple of of us who’ve to have a look at these penalties and rectify them fairly rapidly as a result of performances like that, we cannot go far on the World Cup.’