Schmidt hoping Pumas victory can 'springboard' Wallabies to next level as he backs Lolesio

Sun, Sep 1, 2024, 4:42 AM
AW
by AAP and Nathan Williamson
Los Pumas host the Wallabies in Round 3 of the Rugby Championship at a wet Estadio Uno in La Plata.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is pleased with the resilience shown by his side after a narrow 20-19 win over Argentina.

It took a penalty from substitute Ben Donaldson on the buzzer to secure the victory in tough conditions in Buenos Aires.

Tickets to 2024 Wallabies home Tests are available here.

Australia trailed 10-0 and 16-7 at Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi but found a way in driving rain to improve to 1-2 in the four-team tournament.

Centre Len Ikitau was a bright spark in attack despite the conditions, halfback Jake Gordon impressed, props Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou and loose forwards Carlo Tizzano, Rob Valetini and first-time skipper Harry Wilson were influential. 

Centre Hamish Stewart, the Wallabies' 15th debutant this year, was also rock solid.

"Really proud; we made a few things hard for ourselves, giving them a big start at home, big crowd, difficult conditions," coach Joe Schmidt said.

"We put ourselves straight back under pressure by dropping restarts, but we fought ... scored tries and created some other chances that would have been great."

The teams will meet again in seven days in what is expected to be better weather in Santa Fe.

"Hopefully it'll give us a little bit of a springboard, but in very different conditions we'll be playing a different Pumas side," Schmidt said.

"At the very top level the margins are fine and things can swing very quickly."

Schmidt also took the opportunity to defend flyhalf Noah Lolesio after a rocky start before producing the break that set Australia up to work for the penalty.

"I loved the way he backed himself,” Schmidt said.

“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 length of field, almost length of field try and 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 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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