Tri Nations rugby: What the Australian media says after the Wallabies finish last in Tri Nations

The Wallabies have come under fire for their latest effort against Argentina, while there is half-hearted criticism about new coach Dave Rennie.

If embattled Australian rugby union thought it could receive some charitable contributions in a year in which Covid-19 was shipwrecked, it had to think again with the Wallabies season billed as a failure.

The result of 16 against Argentina, the Wallabies’ third draw in six tests this year, placed them last in the Tri-Nations and they have been trashed in their press.

About the only person who received rave reviews was schoolgirl anthem singer Olivia Fox, after a performance in an ensemble language that seems to have moved the nation.

Writing in the Sydney morning heraldTom Decent said: “The Wallabies once again ended their year on a bitter and depressing note, tying Argentina in a very similar fashion when Reece Hodge once again missed a late penalty attempt.”

“At Wellington and Newcastle, Hodge had long-range shots to win the trials for Australia this year, but failed both times.

“Unbelievably, it happened for the third time and while he can’t be blamed given the degree of difficulty, it sums up the year for the Wallabies as they finish 2020 with another average result.”

Decent pointed to Lukhan Salakaia-Loto’s “red card, poor discipline and terrible tackle” as the reasons the Wallabies didn’t deserve the win anyway.

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper admitted to having a “feeling of emptiness” after the draw, but suggested a good job was still being done.

But Decent described the test as “severe as the 15-15 result in Newcastle a fortnight ago.”

They had a week to freshen up and “there were no excuses for not putting on a brilliant performance.”

“The Wallabies will want to erase the game from the memory bank. It was very 2020,” he wrote.

Sam Phillips, also at SMH, said the Wallabies’ season of one win, three draws and two losses could be “cut and cut two ways.”

Missed opportunities, through Hodge’s late goal failures, suggested a decent year for a young and inexperienced team after the World Cup. He found good potential on the backs, of new and old players. The scrum was getting strong, and a pair of forwards like lock Matt Philip were giving good signals.

“But without the gold-colored glasses, there are some harsh realities that Rennie and his coaching staff will certainly face during the summer,” he wrote.

“His attack in both games against Argentina was rancid. The lineout is still prone to errors.

“You still need a hooker, lock, fullback and top-notch hitter in the last row.

“And the defensive performance (in two tests) against the All Blacks was disastrous. A victory in six tests was not the best of the outings.”

Wayne Smith, in The australianhe wrote “the Wallabies limped to a tie at 16 with a weaker Argentina in a miserable finish at the Tri Nation rugby tournament.”

Michael Hooper’s maul attempt “was the sum total of what Australia would remember from this horrendous match.”

“Conditions were bad, it’s true … but this was a performance that sent Dave Rennie’s team almost back to where it started.”

“In fact, maybe worse, because the Wallabies played excellent rugby in the first round of the new era (the draw in Wellington).

“The handling was awful … Australia’s discipline was terrible.

“The tragedy was that a terrible performance by Australia followed one of the great national anthems ever played at an international rugby match. It seemed like history was being made.

“Sadly, even though the Wallabies knew the lines of the anthem, they were groping when the whistle blew.”

On ESPN’s scrum.com, Sam Bruce wrote that Rennie’s record so far “leaves Australian rugby fans with more questions than answers about whether Kiwi’s tenure will be better than that of his predecessor Michael Cheika.

Problem areas, mistakes, poor discipline, and missed opportunities were the hallmark of the Cheika era.

“The Wallabies have problems on the attacking side of the ball and they need to uncover more threats with the ball,” he said.