Australia vs. Argentina: Winners and Losers from Rugby Championship
Australia clinched a second Rugby Championship victory in as many weeks on Saturday as Argentina were sent packing from the Gold Coast with a 32-25 defeat to ponder.
Ewen McKenzie's side looked like they could win comfortably after a brace of Michael Hooper tries opened their account either side of half-time, but a late revival from the visitors made them work to the last whistle.
Daniel Hourcade will again see this as a case of so near yet so far, with a raft of positive and negative aspects surrounding both sides, squad-wide and individual.
All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum and Ruckin Good Stats.
Winner: Australian Initiative an Encouraging Building Block
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Getting points on the board early doors is a trait every international side wishes they were capable of, but for some reason, there are certain nations that cope better with fine beginnings than others.
At the Cbus Super Stadium, it was Australia who wrestled their challenge best from the off, scoring first for the second week in a row, Michael Hooper bagging a second-minute try to get the Gold Coast crowd on its feet.
Not only that but Hooper also managed to notch a second score just three minutes into the second, another indication that while the flanker does have his lapses in discipline, he may be the leader figure his side needs in at least a physical sense.
It's especially impressive to see considering Argentina are usually a team who start strong, managing an early try of their own on Saturday, but the hosts' superior speed off the line proved pivotal.
Loser: Argentina Timid in Taking Possession Up
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While the Pumas are a building power in the southern hemisphere, it remains true that the South Americans will still have to contend with a minority of possession in most of their Rugby Championship meetings.
Such was the case on Saturday, but instead of giving themselves the best shot possible at racking up points with those chances they did have, Nicolas Sanchez instead took it upon himself to kick far more often than was required.
At the halfway mark, the Pumas' No. 10 had booted the ball away in 60 percent of his receptions. To contrast that figure, opposite number Bernard Foley only kicked with 8 percent of his first-half receptions.
It's, of course, worth weighing the location of the ball and possession numbers into the matter, with only 28 percent of play taking place in the Wallabies' half.
However, it all ties in as Hourcade hopes to bring this Argentina side on to the same level as his Rugby Championship peers, and that can't be accomplished without the ball in hand.
Winner: Manuel Montero's Prolific International Run
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Coming into Saturday's game, Argentina's rising wing maestro Manuel Montero held a superb record of 13 tries in just 16 Test matches, a tally which already has him among his nation's top 10 try scorers.
That record was bettered once again as the Club Pucara representative soared over in the sixth minute, cancelling out the score Michael Hooper had registered earlier in the matchup.
Paul Williams of Rugby World praised the 22-year-old, who evidently has a huge future in front of him:
"Oooooof. Try and stop that thing at full stink. #montero
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) September 13, 2014"
Pending any dramatic shift in momentum, one would imagine it's only a matter of time until the South American speedster makes the move to Super Rugby or European shores.
The youngster did suffer a forgettable moment in the second half, failing to restrict Hooper's easy run-in on the line, but these are fixable issues.
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Loser: Australia Inhibiting Their Own Running Fluidity
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What is territory if one is unable to make pressure on the opposition count? "Wasted" would be the answer.
While they showed some promise in this aspect against South Africa a week ago, poor hands once again permeated throughout Australia's game on Saturday, a fixture which could have produced so much more from the hosts.
After just 25 minutes, the Wallabies had already committed six handling errors, and while a share of the possession might fluctuate figures, Argentina looked altogether better with just one at that point.
This in turn led to more scrums being given to the visitors, not what McKenzie will have wanted against a team as threatening at the set piece as the Pumas.
Winner: Matt Toomua Gaining Speed as an Unsung Hero
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Since making his Test debut last year, Matt Toomua has slipped off the Wallabies radar as one of their more talked-about players, instead permitted to simply go about his business.
Except now the Brumbies' playmaker does so at inside centre, the position McKenzie has chosen for him after a not-so-successful experiment at fly-half.
Without the pressure of a nation upon his shoulders, the 24-year-old has matured in the past 12 months without cause for fuss, and while not a superstar in the role just yet, his steady and consistent progress is precisely what his country needs right now.
By rights, McKenzie could opt for Kurtley Beale in the No. 12 starting role, but his trust in Toomua is encouraging, a safer option who is by all means capable of producing brilliance himself.
On Saturday, Beale was brought on with just under 30 minutes left to offer a different dimension, but Toomua held a fine defensive account and made two turnovers in his outing, adding substance while others dazzled.
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