Nerve-shattering test win squares series for Wallabies

Press, 5 November 1979, Page 36

Nerve-shattering test win squares series for Wallabies

NZPA Buenos Aires Mark Loane’s Wallabies don’t need neck braces to hold their heads up high after a nerve-shattering 17-12 victory over Argentina's Pumas at Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Few Australian teams could have displayed greater character and sheer guts to triumph over almost overwhelming odds, and square the two-test series. The Wallabies scored three tries to one, but victory and vindication were not secured until the last kick of the match, a superb 45m penalty by the fullback, Paul McLean, Oblivious to an ear-* splitting crescendo of; whistles from the 30,000-1 plus crowd. McLean, who had! landed only one from six! earlier attempts, calmly sent! the ball sailing high over the! centre spot, and equally ob-: livious to a bombardment of plastic cushions from the main grandstand, the Wallabies’ coach, Mr Bob Templeton, bounded on to the pitch to hug his players. It was a rare moment indeed for Mr Templeton to savour.

McLean’s six earlier failures, all from difficult angles, tolled out the number of years since Mr Templeton last coached a successful Australian side. On Saturday he could justifiably take most of the credit for a memorable win, after the previous week’s 13-24 loss to the Pumas.

The Australians were dwarfed in the line-outs, and had to chop the Pumas’ towering lachetti brothers and the No. 8. Gabriel Travaglini down to size.

They did this by following Mr Templeton’s instructions to the letter, constantly switching positions and often [ cutting back to as few as] two men to ensure a good I share of possession. I

They needed every bit of it as the tenacious Pumas threw everything into a des-peration-charged onslaught to make a clean-sweep of the series.

However, Hugo Porta, denied the mountain of possession he revelled in during the first test, in which he kicked three magnificent field goals, was subdued. The Australian back row of Loane, Andy Stewart, and Greg Cornelsen hounded him relentlessly, allowing only one field goal attempt. Inevitably, it sailed between the posts in the twen-ty-fourth minute to put first points on the board after some fiery opening exchanges between the packs. Mr Steve Strydon, the South African referee, had to step in twice in the opening minutes to break up brawls. After Porta’s goal, . the Wallaby five-eighths, Tony Melrose, tried to emulate him but veered just wide of the posts.

A chastened Melrose decided to get his backs working and it quickly paid dividends.

In the thirty-first minute, with the Pumas pounding the Australian line, Melrose hurled them back almost to their . own quarter with a 60m touch-finder. The Wallabies won the line-out and McLean burst into the move-

ment to put Brendan Moon into the clear for a 40m dash to the line.

Porta edged the Pumas in front again four minutes later with a 24m angled penalty.

The Pumas held on to’ their 6-4 lead to half-time, but in the forty-seventh.; minute the match appeared ; destined to be a repetition; of the first test when the ; flanker Tomas Petersen,; charged down an attempted; clearance by Andrew Slack) and scored under the posts. I Porta duly converted and! the Wallabies were trailing,! 4-12.

But this served only to: set them alight, and three! minutes later Moon crossed! for his second try after McLean had again created) the overlap. He converted; and the Wallabies were only! two points in arrears. The Wallabies kept apply-! ing grinding pressure, re-|

warded in the seventy-first minute when the right wing, Paddy Batch, barged over in the corner after half-back Philip Cox had ghosted around the blind side from a 5m scrum.

McLean’s conversion bid skimmed past the left upright but the Wallabies were in front 14-12. Driven on-by a deafening; chant of “Puma, Puma,) Puma,” Porta and his men; swarmed into the attack; only to be scythed down by; the Australians. McLean’s I penalty wrapped it up. The first test was the; Wallabies’ only loss in a! seven-match tour. They also) beat San Isidro, 21-12, an) Interior XV, 47-12, Buenos! Aires, 22-6, Rosario, 21-13,! and Mendoza, 43-4. Saturday's scorers: Austra-i lia 17 (Brendan Moon 2, Paddy Batch tries, Paul; McLean penalty, conversion); beat Argentina 12 (Tomas! Petersen try, Hugo Porta; penalty, dropped goal, conversion).