Rennie fumes, Ledesma purrs after Wallabies and Pumas tie

SHOWS: NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER 21, 2020) (UAR/RUGBY AUSTRALIA - NO RESALES)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH, DAVE RENNIE, ON HIS FEELINGS ON THE RESULT, SAYING:

"Really frustrated, really disappointed. We, at 15-6, you know we had control of the game. We had chances to pin them in the corners, we just, we had a fair bit of success from kicking but like we got bored of it. Played and overplayed and turned the ball over and bought them back into the game, so, yeah, look disappointing. We've got to, you know we should have closed it out and really we've got ourselves to blame."

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH, DAVE RENNIE, ON BEING MORE CLINICAL, SAYING:

"We've got to be more clinical, turn pressure into points and, you know, really Argentine never looked like scoring a try all night and, so, you know, like I think we defended well at times. But, yeah, we've got to turn pressure into points."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH, DAVE RENNIE, ON THE STATE OF THE COMPETITION, SAYING:

"Gee it's a pretty even comp now isn't it, so, we had a chance to take a real stranglehold on that and go into the last game just requiring a win. But we've left the door open, so, obviously a big game between New Zealand and Argentina next week and we'll have a pretty clear idea of what we need to do in the last week."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARGENTINA HEAD COACH, MARIO LEDESMA, ON HIS AND HIS SIDE'S FEELINGS ABOUT THE RESULT, SAYING:

"We weren't clinical and we didn't have a lot of shape, so they're pretty disappointed of their performance, but, they don't, they just don't realise how hard it is to play against the All Blacks, being drained emotionally and physically. Difficult start of the week and play against a fresh Australian team, who had the week off and had a great game plan and had all the opportunities and the ball during, I don't know, 80 per cent of the game or 70 per cent of the game, so, yeah. The first emotion that I have is being proud of the boys. That's the biggest one."

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARGENTINA HEAD COACH, MARIO LEDESMA, ON HOW HIS SQUAD IS HOLDING UP AFTER BACK-TO-BACK TESTS, SAYING:

"We haven't played in a long while and going back-to-back, it's been really, really, hard and especially with the same players. So, we have to access that today with the physios, doctors and we have a, yeah, a lot of niggles in that changing room. So, that's the main thing. Now just recover and see how we go from here."

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARGENTINA HEAD COACH, MARIO LEDESMA, ON THE ROLE FORMER AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH MICHAEL CHEIKA HAS PLAYED BEING APART OF HIS TEAM, SAYING:

"Yeah, look, I thought he was awesome like this last month with him, Pablo (Matera), he can talk about it better than me, but he's been awesome. Like even this morning he went out training with the boys that were outside of the (matchday) 23 and he's been really connecting with all the boys and giving them confidence and stuff. I don't think that this has been anything special about this week, because well, there's another staff in charge of the Wallabies now and they're not playing the same way obviously. So, he can say some stuff about that player or that player, but it's more like crystal ball stuff then you have to confirm it on the day. But he's been incredible with us."

STORY: The two coaches showed starkly contrasting emotions after Australia and Argentina played out a 15-15 draw in the Tri-Nations on Saturday (November 21), which left everything to play for over the final two rounds of the competition.

Many feared that the annual southern hemisphere test championship would be a damp squib after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and then shorn of the world champion Springboks over South African concerns about player welfare.

Argentina's first ever victory over the All Blacks in a stunning contest last week put paid to those fears and Saturday's match, while no classic, continued to build tension over who will end up as champions.

With the three teams now tied on six points, the Wallabies will have to watch on when the Pumas face the All Blacks again next week before they meet the Argentines back in Sydney the following Saturday.

Australia coach Dave Rennie was left frustrated by his team's inability to put the game away after leading 15-6 going into the final quarter of an hour and not securing a victory that would have brought the trophy within their grasp.

"We've got to be more clinical," Rennie fumed. "We've got to turn possession into points.

"It's a pretty even comp now, we've left the door open. Big game next week and we'll have a clearer idea of what we need to do by the time we play."

Argentina coach Mario Ledesma conceded that his team had not put in the same level of performance as last week in Sydney, but he continued to marvel at his players.

"The first thought is pride," he said.

Ledesma thought the presence in the Pumas camp of former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika had not been a big factor in the match, although he was again full of praise for his friend's impact on the squad.

"He's been awesome," he added. "This last month he's just been incredible. Even this morning, he took some of the players who didn't make the (matchday) 23 out training.

"I don't think there was anything special this week -- Australia now has a new team in charge so anything he sees is from the outside."

Ledesma would also not be drawn on how he will go about getting his players up to face the All Blacks and Australia again over the next two weeks after two such huge performances.

(Production: Stefan Haskins)