The test against the Wallabies in Yokohama might tell us more about where the Australians are at than the All Blacks given the remarkable fightback from Michael Cheika's men in Salta which overshadowed even the Kiwi comeback in Pretoria a fortnight ago.Can the Wallabies build on their second-half performance against the Pumas when, down 7-31 at halftime, they won the test 45-34? It was the biggest ever comeback in Rugby Championship history, and owed a fair bit to the departure of Argentina No 10 Nicolas Sanchez after 28 minutes as well as a vastly improved effort from the visitors after a Cheika spray at the break.
If momentum counts for anything in this game, it would appear the Wallabies have it.Cheika's position as coach appears safe but could have been on shaky ground had his team not responded against the Pumas, to whom they lost on the Gold Coast, and now he and his team might have a little more to play for than the All Blacks.The world champions weren't stretched in beating Australia in Sydney and Auckland in August to put away the Bledisloe Cup for the year, and they lost the corresponding test, also a dead rubber, in Brisbane last year.There might be more scrutiny on Steve Hansen's men this time after their epic tests against the Springboks in Wellington and Pretoria, the latter won 32-30 with the final kick of the game.
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