Eddie Jones had billed 2023 as a “smash and grab” campaign.
But the only thing in danger of being smashed on Saturday night was the Wallabies coach’s headset as he hurled it in disgust following another piece of ill discipline.
Australia is now 0-2 under Jones after slumping to an upset 34-31 loss against Michael Cheika’s Argentina in Parramatta.
Watch every match of the 2023 Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup on the home of rugby, Stan Sport. All matches streaming ad free, live and on demand
“We felt the weight of the loss, it is a bad loss,” Jones told Stan Sport.
“That’s not a game we should have lost. We’ve only got ourselves to blame.”
Juan Martin Hernandez scored a dramatic match winner for the Pumas after it looked as though Mark Nawaqanitawase was going to be the headline after his late intercept try.
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The Wallabies – thumped by the Springboks last weekend – have been just as maddeningly inconsistent under Jones as they were under Dave Rennie, if not more so.
“It is more than discipline. A lot of it is about decision making around the ball. We gave the ball far too many times back to them. Test match rugby is about putting pressure on the opposition. We weren’t able to maintain the ball and maintain pressure,” Jones said.
It marked the first time the Pumas have beaten Australia in successive Tests.
Argentina won 48-17 in San Juan last August before Rennie was fired as coach and replaced by Jones after an unsuccessful spring tour of Europe.
Jones faces the prospect of taking the Wallabies to France for the Rugby World Cup without a win unless Australia can rebound in either of their two Bledisloe Cup matches against New Zealand and a warmup game against France next month.
“In 10 days we could be a completely different team and that is the aim,” Jones said ahead of the clash with the red hot All Blacks at the MCG.
“We are trying to play more freely, which is a team conversation. We have to accept there’s going to be a little bit of pain.”
Adding to that pain was the sight of Wallabies centre Len Ikitau injuring his shoulder while scoring a try and being sent to hospital for scans.
After losing his first seven Tests against Jones, Cheika has now won his last two against his former Randwick teammate.
“It felt good. Usually the wins in Rugby Championship come when you have an awesome game,” Cheika said on Stan Sport.
“It is like a landmark. Tonight was one of the few times we have been able to get a win at this type of level when we haven’t been at our best.
“We were able to manufacture a win. There was a lot of good improvement from last week which is what I wanted. No matter what happened with the result, I was pleased with the change of a few things we wanted to do from last week to this week.
“Hopefully we can build that into the weeks coming.”
Jones and Cheika are set to rub shoulders at a Randwick fundraiser on Sunday.
“He’s won the last couple so I’m sure he’ll be in a good mood,” Jones said. – with AP
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