Many (even us at FloRugby) thought that with the Australia national rugby team’s win at the death over Argentina in the third round of this year’s Rugby Championship last weekend the Wallabies were beginning to finally turn a corner following a disastrous period in the squad’s history.

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Argentina made sure in the rematch that any fuzzy feelings didn’t last long.

Los Pumas ripped the Wallabies apart in a record-setting 67-27 victory in Santa Fe on Saturday, going from being 20-3 down about a half-hour into the match to stunningly scoring 64 points in under 50 minutes as the Aussies conceded the most-ever points in a single match in their test rugby history.

It was an absolute thrashing by Argentina, which in the process got its biggest-ever victory over the Wallabies and made the brilliant Pumas the only team still able to overtake South Africa for this year’s Rugby Championship title with two tests against the mighty Springboks looming later this month.

Meanwhile, the Wallabies’ performance (particularly in the second half) was about as shambolic of a display that has ever been seen in the team’s modern history and is a major step backwards, dooming Australia to wooden spoon territory if it can’t defeat rival New Zealand at any point over the final two rounds of the competition.

Before the floodgates opened in the Santa Fe sunshine, however, things were looking up for the Wallabies. 

Traded penalties in the first 10 minutes ended up leading to the opening try of the match from Australian flanker Carlo Tizzano, who finished off a Wallabies attack from short range 14 minutes in. An Argentine response a few minutes later was then ruled no try after an obstruction call in the buildup.

Fly-half Ben Donaldson, Australia’s hero last weekend in La Plata, booted through a penalty in the 21st minute to make it a 10-point cushion for the tourists, then Andrew Kellaway finished off a try of his own in the 28th after a sleek sequence of play in which he had a rapid one-two with trailing winger Max Jorgensen.

Things looked great for Australia at that moment. Until they weren’t.

Mateo Carreras got the first of what would be nine tries for Los Pumas a few minutes later as the undeterred hosts sent numbers forward on an attack down the left side, with the winger getting an offload and cutting through the middle to touch down between the posts. Julian Montoya (who was celebrating his 100th cap for Argentina) then punctuated his landmark moment with a score of his own from close range.

Having breathed new life into the match, Argentina still had some work to do as they were down 20-17 at the intermission and were tasked with the challenge of keeping the momentum that it established late in the first half. It undoubtedly kept the good vibes going — and then some.

Number 8 Juan Martin Gonzalez started Los Pumas’ sensational second half with emphasis nine minutes in as he forced his way through for five after Australia was bossed in a preceding scrum, which would end up being a common theme in the final 40 minutes. Less than 10 minutes later, the superb Pablo Matera then found paydirt when he finished off another scintillating Pumas attack from another won scrum.

If Australia wasn’t imploding by then, it definitely was when substitute back-rower Joaquin Oviedo got his first of two tries in the second half by crossing over at the end of a searing Argentinian counter-attack in the 63rd minute, started when another sub in Eduardo Bello forced a turnover. Los Pumas’ bench was world-class and completely blew the Wallabies away, and even when Tate McDermott scored for Australia in the 68th to try and give his side a late push, it was merely for consolation in an absolute thrashing.

Argentina scored four tries in the final 10 minutes as it put on a extraordinary last act against the former world champions as Juan Cruz Mallia scored twice, Oviedo got his brace and the outstanding Lucio Cinti put the exclamation point on it all to make a special day in Argentine rugby — and an embarrassing one for Australian rugby.

Round 5 Rugby Championship fixtures will see the Wallabies attempt to recover against the All Blacks in Sydney, while the pumped-up Pumas will welcome South Africa in Santiago del Estero. Both matches are scheduled for Sept. 21.

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