Rugby World Cup 2015: Winners and Losers from Australia vs. Argentina

"Advance Australia Fair." They will face New Zealand next weekend in the Rugby World Cup final after a 29-15 win over Argentina.

The Wallabies were ahead as early as the first minute when Rob Simmons gleefully got his mitts on a misplaced pass from Nicolas Sanchez and romped home.

And Michael Cheika’s men never relinquished that lead, a hat-trick from Adam Ashley-Cooper ensuring a win that puts the Wallabies into their fourth final.

They have won two and lost one of those games, and they will surely go in as underdogs against the reigning champions.

For now, let’s have a look at the winners and losers from this one.

Winner: Adam Ashley-Cooper

Christophe Ena/Associated Press

The centurion on the right wing became the second player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick in a semi-final. Can any England fans remember the other chap?

Adam Ashley-Cooper may never have had an easier three run-ins to complete his treble.

He was on the end of a miss-pass move that gave him time and space to get home to open his account, and was again free to dive over for No. 2.

The 31-year-old had the slightly trickier task of collecting Drew Mitchell’s bobbling pass for his third, but he had no defender to stop him once it was in his grasp.

Loser: Agustin Creevy

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Nothing but sympathy for the Pumas captain. Agustin Creevy was struggling in the week with a leg injury and took to the field with a heavy strapping on his left thigh.

And the hooker clearly suffered a recurrence mid-way through the first half and had to depart.

Without him, Argentina were short on a major ball carrier.

They also lost wing Juan Imhoff early on, and he was joined by Juan Martin Hernandez shortly after the break.

Winner: Michael Cheika

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

When Michael Cheika took the hot seat as Wallabies coach, they were a rabble.

Text-gate, defeat to the Pumas, and a sorrowful 2014 Rugby Championship campaign had sunk Australian rugby to one of its lowest ebbs.

But the former Leinster man has effected great change in his year in charge, and he has now taken them to the summit.

They won the Rugby Championship before arriving in England and then set about winning the "Pool of Death," booting out the hosts en route.

They have won four straight games at Twickenham against Tier-One nations and now have a shot at the big prize.

Loser: Wayne Barnes

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

It wasn’t the Englishman’s finest night with the whistle.

In the one incident to which he turned to the television match official for help, Wayne Barnes decided Tomas Lavanini’s tackle on Israel Folau was worthy of a yellow card, which seemed harsh.

He then opted not to penalise the Australian scrum at the end of the first half when it had clearly crumpled in a kickable position for Argentina.

Instead, Barnes let the ball be cleared into touch and blew for half-time. Another odd decision followed in the second half when Facundo Isa had a couple of goes at posting the ball back to his scrum-half, blatantly hanging on to it to stop Wallaby hands turning it over.

But his biggest blunder was not to check Drew Mitchell's pass that led to Adam Ashley-Cooper's third try. TV replays showed it was forward but the official didn't even ask the TMO for a look.

It provoked a healthy amount of criticism on social media, including from BBC Sport's Ben Dirs.

"

Wayne Barnes needs 10 looks to decide a yellow card that probably isn't but fails to refer a forward pass that probably is.

— Ben Dirs (@bendirs1) October 25, 2015"

Winner and Loser: Mario Ledesma

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

Australia's Argentinian forwards coach Mario Ledesma (C) embraces Argentina's head coach Daniel Hourcade (L) after winning a semi-final match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup between Argentina and Australia at Twickenham Stadium, southwest London, on October

It was clearly an uncomfortable situation for former Pumas hooker Mario Ledesma to be in.

Formerly a tearaway hooker in the vanguard of the 2007 Pumas team, now the Wallaby scrum coach, Ledesma was pictured hugging some of his countrymen during the warm-up and quietly recited the Argentinian national anthem in the Australian coaching box.

The 42-year-old then watched as the team he works for beat the country he bled for, at the same time as seeing the scrum he is in charge of in the Australian camp get obliterated on several occasions.

Bet he’s glad that’s over.