By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE, July 26 (Reuters) - An emphatic 34-9 win over Argentina helped Australia build momentum for a Rugby Championship decider against New Zealand, but Bernard Foley's suspect kicking underlined a big problem for the Wallabies' World Cup ambitions.
The 25-year-old flyhalf was slow to leave the field after the pre-match warmup in Mendoza on Saturday, taking extra time to cram in as many practice kicks as possible.
The last-minute preparations appeared in vain, however, as Foley missed three of four conversions and a penalty to leave nine points on the field.
Though he slotted four penalties and finished with 14 points, few of Foley's successes inspired confidence, with one close-range effort barely clearing the cross-bar and another ugly punt seemingly defying the laws of physics to curl in.
Foley could take some comfort that his 56 percent conversion rate was only marginally worse than the 57 percent Quade Cooper, his rival for the Wallabies' number 10 shirt, and Matt Giteau managed in tandem against South Africa last week.
For coach Michael Cheika and the Wallabies' braintrust, those figures do not inspire confidence.
Australian fans have long pined for a 'super-boot' like that of Welshman Leigh Halfpenny, and grudgingly admired the poise with which All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter steps up to the tee.
"No one kicks as bad as us," former Wallabies fullback and television pundit Greg Martin lamented after the Argentina match.
Cheika may have little recourse but to reconsider Christian Lealiifano, who he omitted from his original 31-man squad for the southern hemisphere tournament.
The ACT Brumbies utility back, one of Australia's better kickers, was called into the tour squad for Argentina after a sternum injury to Giteau but was omitted from the match-day 23.
Fitting Lealiifano in for the All Blacks clash in two weeks might also be problematic, however, with Giteau, Matt Toomua and Kurtley Beale all vying for midfield positions and the back three also crowded.
The kicking woes will only add to the selection headaches Cheika faces ahead of the Sydney game against New Zealand.
Toomua suffered a head knock early against Argentina, losing his chance to shine at inside centre in the absence of Giteau and leaving Cheika with a tough call to pick between the two.
Pocock, however, impressed in his first start at openside flanker in more than two and a half years after recovering from a pair of knee reconstructions, and may have edged in front of former captain Michael Hooper as the preferred number seven.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)