Hooper credits Kiss's 'world-class' training standards as Wallabies go 3-0 in Argentina

Australia secured a 27-21 victory over Argentina in Jujuy on Saturday, extending their perfect record under Les Kiss to three matches and marking the first time the Wallabies have won four straight games in the same calendar year in five years.

Backrower Tom Hooper, one of the try-scorers at Estadio 23 de Agosto, pointed to Kiss’s influence on the training environment as a key driver of the team’s improved form. “The way he communicates is very calming… he’s brought a really good mindset in terms of how we’re training,” Hooper said after the match. “If you want to be world-class and get good results and lift a bit of silverware, you’re going to have to train world-class and he’s certainly bringing that standard to training.”

Hooper was also keen to stress the continuity Kiss has maintained from his predecessor Joe Schmidt, who stepped down following the July Nations Championship Tests. “He hasn’t thrown the baby out of the bathwater. He’s kept a lot of the good stuff there and really motivated us to just keep pushing forward.”

Fraser McReight claimed Player of the Match honours after a standout display that included a try, while No. 8 Rob Valetini was prominent in both attack and defence. Regular skipper Harry Wilson was rotated out of the matchday squad entirely, with Kiss citing the volume of rugby still ahead this season — a decision that allowed Hooper, Valetini, and McReight to start together in the back row.

“It’s awesome, mate. Played a lot of footy in that backrow combination and I really enjoy playing with those guys,” Hooper said. “We’ve just got so much depth in that position… competition breeds success there.”

The Wallabies made a fast start in Jujuy, with locks Josh Canham and Jeremy Williams combining to set up hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa for an early try before fly-half Carter Gordon crossed only four minutes later. Argentina responded through Geronimo Prisciantelli, but McReight’s score gave Australia an eight-point cushion at half-time.

The win in Argentina — widely regarded as one of the most difficult venues in international rugby — follows back-to-back Flight Centre Series victories over Japan and underlines the momentum Kiss has generated since taking charge last month.