Ex-England halfback Ben Youngs has questioned whether the British and Irish Lions should bother touring Australia next year after the Wallabies slumped to a record loss in Argentina on Sunday (AEST).
The scarcely believable 67-27 Pumas mauling came after Joe Schmidt’s side had led 20-3 after 30 minutes in the Santa Fe sun.
It was the most points ever conceded by the Wallabies in a Test and was the second heaviest ever loss by margin.
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And with the Bledisloe Cup kicking off next week in Sydney, the capitulation shattered the positive vibes from the previous victory in La Plata, where Ben Donaldson’s late kick earned a 20-19 win.
“I’ve been really patient with Australia because I think in Joe Schmidt they have an obviously proven, very, very good coach,” Youngs said in conversation with fellow Test centurion Dan Cole on their For the Love of Rugby podcast.
“But Argentina just blew them away. By the end, Argentina caught a kickoff and ran the length of the field and scored again.
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“I’m thinking like, blimey, that’s dark – like proper dark – and it’s just not good to see for Aussie rugby.”
Schmidt is on a two-year contract with Rugby Australia and the biggest focus is being competitive in next year’s marquee Lions tour.
The Wallabies are ranked ninth in the world and three of the four nations that make up the Lions are higher.
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Ireland are second, England fifth, Scotland sixth and Wales 11th.
“I’m looking at it and thinking the Lions are better off going to South Africa and touring there,” said Youngs, a member of the 2013 Lions squad that beat Australia 2-1.
“I don’t know, maybe we’ll just do a reunion of 2013 and we’ll just go f—ing do the business on them – get all the lads out of retirement.
“Just bits to their game which are just so naive. There was a time when Argentina come around the corner – the game was proper tight at this point, (20-17 to Wallabies) – Argentina come around the corner, the replacement hooker (Josh Nasser) comes on and gets a great steal for Australia.
“He’s (Ben Donaldson) then presented the ball, they’re like three metres from their line, so you’re thinking right, just clear it.
“The 10 has come in and instead of just, like getting it off himself and clearing the lines, boom he hits Rob Valetini up who’s behind his own line. I don’t know what he’s expecting so he gets banged, bless him.
“Argentina tackle him… I’m just looking at some of these basic parts of the game and I’m thinking, ‘like, what are you doing? It’s Test match rugby.’ Test match rugby at its basic level is just get out of your bloody half and they can’t even do that efficiently.”
Youngs predicted the Lions would have a “field day” Down Under.
“Australia – great country and all that – but you’re d—ing every blimmin’ provincial side by 50, 60 points. Then you get into the Test matches and you run riot and have got it wrapped up after two games with an aggregate of 110 points.
“I’m just looking at it and with less than a year out, and after the game at the weekend – I think Australia look worse than they did in the summer (under Eddie Jones).”
The pile on didn’t stop there.
All Blacks great Mils Muliania – another respected Test centurion – blamed Australia’s struggles for New Zealand taking a dip themselves.
Muliaina said a lopsided Super Rugby landscape – Australia hasn’t won a title since the Waratahs in 2014 – was not properly preparing the All Blacks for Test rugby.
South Africa last played Super Rugby in 2020 before the pandemic hit.
Their clubs now participate in northern hemisphere-based competitions.
Argentina’s Jaguares and Japan’s Sunwolves were also given the boot from Super Rugby with the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika now included.
“I don’t think our competitions are healthy,” Muliaina said on The Breakdown, available to watch on Stan Sport.
“Our competitions aren’t turning our up-and-comers into quality, world class All Blacks.
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“They’re going out there in pressure situations and that’s where they’re folding. You can’t teach that at the lower grades because we’re playing against the Aussies.”
With two rounds to play in the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks and Wallabies have both been knocked out of the title race.
World champions South Africa (4-0) need just three more competition points in two games against Argentina to ensure they claim the trophy for the first time since 2019.
“The South Africans have found their groove because they’ve gone overseas and played hardened rugby, but they’ve also got a style of rugby which also suits them,” Muliaina said.
“We’ve got to find that in our competitions. I don’t agree that our competitions are as competitive as what they should be.”
The Rugby Championship resumes on September 21 in Sydney with the Bledisloe Cup also on the line.