Michael Cheika reunion poses ominous threat for Wallabies in Rugby Championship

Wounded and wobbling, still missing key personnel and facing off against a former mentor, the Wallabies will be in ambush territory when they run into Estadio Malvinas for the first of two Tests against Argentina on Sunday morning. Unlike Australia, who lost the July series against England in desultory fashion, Los Pumas have their tails up and fangs bared after defeating Scotland 34-31 with a thrilling last-play-of-the-game comeback try a fortnight ago.

Although luckless with their injury toll, the men in gold were their own worst enemies in the 2-1 defeat to England, giving away too many penalties and easy points to a dead-eye kicker, and too often chancing their arm in risky counterattack from their own quarter when they maybe should have calmly turned the screws to earn the right to entertaining uptempo rugby. Like the ‘piddler on the roof’ at the SCG, they drank the Kool Aid dry but pissed it all away.

In Mendoza, the greatest threats come from within, most ominously in the form of Michael Cheika, the wily former Wallabies coach who will know what’s coming from his countrymen, maybe even more than they do. Cheika took the reins from Mario Ledesma as Los Pumas’ coach in March. Equally fluent in Spanish and attacking rugby, the 55-year-old is now a national hero after inspiring his men to an upset 2-1 win over Scotland before 30,000 fans in Santiago del Estero.

Those fans had waited three years to see their team play Test rugby again and they will be in full voice again at the arena that hosted their famous 2014 victory over the Ewan McKenzie-coached Wallabies. That night, despite Australia leading 14-0 after 15 minutes, Los Pumas calmly clawed back the ascendency to win 21-17 and notch a maiden win in the Rugby