Carlo Tizzano has spent a few years trying to live up to his pledge to take Michael Hooper’s jersey. On Sunday, playing his third Test in the No.7 jersey made famous by Hoops, Tizzano showed that his self-confidence might be well placed after all.
The Western Force backrower was immense alongside new skipper Harry Wilson and the ever-excellent Rob Valetini as the Wallabies kept going despite falling behind by nine points in the second half, and emerged with a 20-19 win from the last kick of the game against Argentina.
There were plenty of diamonds sparkling on a rainy night in la Plata, and the rocks were harder to spot through the rain streaked TV cameras.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt had his heart in his mouth as he sat, powerless, in the game’s death throes. In the end it was a victory for persistence, and one desperately needed by the coach and players as they put the two defeats against South Africa behind them.
“They played tough,” said former Wallaby Morgan Turinui on Stan Sport. “Argentina had their shots, they led for much of the game. The Wallabies, high error rate as well at times, but found a way. This is the kind of performance that Joe Schmidt can grab and drag forward into what’s to come. Even the back end, their breakdown work was excellent.
“We’ve seen Stage 1 of Joe Schmidt as the Wallabies coach – the first five Test matches. Very direct, those sorts of things. This was going to be Stage 1.5 with some more expansion. Stage 2 now with the win.”
So who starred and who struggled in the victory?
DIAMONDS
Carlo Tizzano has noted in the past that when he moved to New South Wales to play behind the great Wallabies captain Hooper the veteran “didn’t give me much” and “didn’t like me”.
Standing two centimetres short and a couple of kilograms lighter than the Wallabies superstar, Tizzano started to step out of his shadow in La Plata. Fraser McReight is the obvious long term successor to Hoops, but Tizzano won’t give up his spot without a terrific battle.
Tizzano made three turnovers at the breakdown and 22 tackles. Befitting someone who has done plenty of MMA and wrestling, Tizzano was fierce in the contest.
“Carlo was awesome,” said Wilson. “He leads our defence. The way he launches into everyone, he really set the platform for us. The way he pinched the ball for us tonight was game-changing. A few times we were under pressure there, and he reached and got us a penalty, and got some big moments for us.”
The best moment came on 53 minutes when he battled three opponents to win a penalty with a display of pure desire.
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Schmidt is building a team towards the Lions tour next season and acknowledged this week that there was a paradox in looking ahead and winning in the short term as well. Keeping Angus Bell on the paddock will be a key to both.
The injury-plagued prop was immense in his second Test back from his latest setback. He made 17 tackles, second for the Wallabies behind Tizzano, and had nine carries. There was also his moment of clarity leading to a try to Valetini in the second half when he popped up at scrum half to dish off to his flying teammate.
Bell had an eventful first 10 minutes of the second half, unleashing two monster hits but also conceding the scrum penalty from which Argentina pushed to a 16-7 lead.
Len Ikitau. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
Schmidt has gone for four captains in his six Tests and Harry Wilson had a significant impact in the role – coming up with a try saver on Argentine prop Thomas Gallo, and leading the team from the front. He did make one kick off error on a slippery night but overall excelled.
Wilson’s ascension to leadership puts a spotlight on his backrow partner Rob Valetini. The John Eales player of the year hasn’t been considered for the role, but with Schmidt saying his preference was for “actions over words” in picking a skipper – you wonder how he keeps missing out.
No one else in this Wallabies set up delivers so consistently, and as Turinui noted, most of his 20 metres gained were post contact.
“There’s no gimme metres for him. Every single metre he earns is either post-contact or it’s hard when there’s high density in front of him,” said Turinui. “And he’s got that great work rate too. He’s a mature Test footballer now. Those are the yards that the Wallabies are trying to use as route one, and then the pay-off comes later where other players can profit.”
While the conditions and opponent made it a game more about the forwards battle, Australia’s inside centre Len Ikitau was outstanding. He ran with verve, beating a team high five defenders from 10 carries, and played a central role in Jake Gordon’s first half try, a neat inside no look pass sending Tom Wright through a gap. Wright did well to send Gordon, having his best game this year, over the tryline.
Ikitau also set up the Wallabies second try when he juggled the ball but retained his cool and split the defence in the lead up.
There was a promising combination between Ikitau and rookie Hamish Stewart, who had a few moments of stress but came through his debut with reputation enhanced.
ROCKS
Perhaps it’s the Schmidt game plan or the conditions, but there was little action for either of the wingers in the starting lineup. Andrew Kellaway was almost anonymous, while Marika Koroibete, the only overseas pick in this side, was disappointing. He gave away a daft penalty on 17 minutes arriving late and felling an opponent who had launched to take a kick.
“That’s a coach killer,” said Justin Harrison in commentary. Koroibete spilled a kick off as well and had little impact in attack.
When Max Jorgensen came on the field the Wallabies were in a more expansive mood. His one big chance came when Noah Lolesio burst down the right hand side but then his bullet pass was spilled by the rookie back.
And no edition of rocks and diamonds would be complete without analysis of Noah Lolesio, who had a little bit of both.
You can hear Schmidt straining to support his star flyhalf, who it appears will be given every opportunity to establish himself despite the clear flaws in decision making. A terrible pass to Nick Frost in the second half needed Wilson’s try saver to bail the team out, and his joined teammates in being poor under the high ball.
“I loved the way he backed himself,” said Schmidt.
“He backed himself in the air a couple of times and didn’t quite get the result, but backed himself on the ground and ran out from zone 22, almost set up Max Jorgensen for what would have been a fantastic almost length of field try.
“Forced the ball to Nick Frost at one stage when I think he would have been better off going downtown, but it’s easy for people in the [coaching] box with a full view to be able to make those decisions.
“He’s in a very swirly, wet arena, a fairly hostile environment, and I thought he managed himself really well. There’s always things that he will pick apart. He’s challenging himself more and more, and I like that in the way that he’s trying to build his game.”
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