A rant, and a game of two halves
It was some halftime performance by Australia coach Michael Cheika.
So much so that the Wallabies stunned Argentina with five secondhalf tries to overcome a 31-7 halftime deficit and beat the Pumas 45-34 in the final match of the Rugby Championship in Salta yesterday.
Cheika was shown on television broadcasts screaming and pointing fingers menacingly at several players in the dressing room during halftime. Losers of eight of their last 10 tests, Cheika was trying to make sure it wasn’t nine of 11.
‘‘He had some pretty firm words there in the second half and, like I said, it was a choice for the players there,’’ Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, who scored a first-half try, said of Cheika’s halftime rant.
Rugby Australia said it was the biggest comeback involving southern hemisphere teams, improving on the 18 points that South Africa overcame to beat New Zealand in 1998.
It was only Australia’s second win of the tournament and allowed the Wallabies to finish in third place instead of last, a spot that they seemed destined for after their woeful firsthalf performance The win will ease the pressure on the embattled Cheika.
With the loss, Argentina finished last for the sixth time in seven years since the four-country event began.
It took Argentina less than two minutes for their first try, through Pablo Matera, and by the fifth minute the Pumas had another to Emiliano Boffelli. Hooper scored a converted try for Australia, but Argentina went to halftime with their 24-point lead after a brilliant solo run and try by substitute flyhalf Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias.
The Wallabies began their amazing comeback just three minutes into the second half with a try to Izack Rodda, followed by those to Israel Folau and Dane Haylett-petty. They took the lead for the first time – 35-34 – when David Pocock scored with 15 minutes left.
The Wallabies increased their lead to 42-34 with 13 minutes left on Haylett-petty’s second try of the night. First five-eighth Bernard Foley converted all six Wallaby tries and kicked a penalty goal to give Australia some breathing room with six minutes left.
‘‘That old cliche, a game of two halves,’’ Hooper said. ‘‘We know we have some amazing attack in us and some really good defence to keep them out there for the second half.’’
At a glance
Australia 45 (Dane Haylett-petty 2, Michael Hooper, Israel Folau, Izack Rodda, David Pocock tries; Bernard Foley 6cons, pen) Argentina 34 (Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, Matias Orlando, Emiliano Boffelli, Pablo Matera tries; Nicolas Sanchez 3, Iglesias cons; Iglesias 2pens). HT: 7-31.