(Reuters) – Australia coach Joe Schmidt was left to lament a lack of depth in his inexperienced Wallabies squad after seeing his team handed a record 67-27 loss by Argentina in Santa Fe in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.
The Australians raced into a 17-point lead during the first half but suffered a collapse after the interval to concede a record number of points in their second-heaviest defeat as the Pumas ran rampant.
“There was a fair bit of youth out there, especially coming off the bench, and it was a very tough period of time for them to play out that last 20 or 30 minutes,” said Schmidt.
“Until then the game was very much in the balance. To lead 20-3 in the first half and then to be 20-17 at halftime meant it swung a bit, but we were still in front.
“It’s disappointing to fall off the edge in that second half.”
Australia had only once previously conceded 60 points or more in a game, that coming in 1997 in a heavy loss against South Africa, and went into the game in Sante Fe having defeated Argentina 20-19 in La Plata last weekend.
But, despite tries from Carlo Tizzano and Andrew Kellaway giving Schmidt’s side an early advantage, the home side responded with nine tries of their own to crush the visitors.
The loss was the third in four matches for Schmidt’s side in the current Rugby Championship, leaving the New Zealander looking for positives from his tenure so far and his team’s two-test mini tour of Argentina.
“I think we’ve had 16 debutants and it’s going to take a bit of time to build a strength in depth that allows us when we do make substitutions or when we are a few players short that we can sustain a really competitive effort,” said Schmidt.
“Getting the time with the players and getting the opportunity for them to build as a squad is always really positive when you’re away on tour.
“Records are going to happen. Argentina put a record score of 38 up against the All Blacks in New Zealand. That’s what they’re capable of.”
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Sonali Paul)
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