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Will Genia and Joe Tomane will join the Wallabies but Henry Speight’s Test start will have to wait, as Australia begin preparations to face an improved Argentina on the Gold Coast this week.

It is understood Genia is some way off his Test return but will be brought into the training squad this week, along with Tomane and Rebels centre Tom English, after playing in the National Rugby Championship on Saturday.

But in a disappointing development over the weekend, Speight will remain in Canberra after pulling out of an expected NRC appearance with a sore hamstring.

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Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie did not put a time frame on Speight’s long-awaited introduction to the Test arena, but said the Wallabies would take a “conservative” approach with the powerhouse winger.

“The comeback trail has been pretty seamless but he literally woke up sore,” McKenzie said.

“It’s not like he’s had another episode but he’s woken up sore in the same area. I’ve seen the scans, it’s certainly not dramatic but the fact that it’s there – you’d call it a strain – you’re going to be conservative.

“I’m not interested in creating some sort of chronic issue. He’s with the Brumbies and they’ve been rehabbing him well, so we’ll wait. When he’s available, he’s available.”

The delay makes it more likely Speight will make his Wallabies debut on the road, when Australia tour South Africa and Argentina in the final block of the Rugby Championship at the end of the month.

After a protracted battle over his international eligibility, the Fijian-born winger would have been clear to play for Australia after September 11 – this week – but the hamstring niggle looks to have cruelled that.

In other squad news, experienced hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau looks close to making his return from a medial ligament injury in his knee after making it through a contact session on Saturday morning.

James Hanson performed well in Perth and Saia Fainga’a will rejoin the squad on Tuesday after the birth of his first child, a daughter.

But Polota-Nau’s return would be a massive boost for the Wallabies pack as they prepare to go head-to-head with Argentina, whose forwards are among the most respected scrummagers in Test rugby.

McKenzie did not want to make a hard ruling on the Waratahs rake but said he was “progressing really quickly”.

“[The scrum] has been going all right,” he said.

“If he’s fit we’ll consider him but we’re not going to take damaged players into the game, so we’ll be careful there.

“But we brought him in this week because we thought he was pretty close. And he is, so it would be nice if he was available.”

The Wallabies passed an important test against the Springboks at the weekend and, after two weeks of heavy criticism, the pack stood up where it counted.

“Scrums are a week-to-week proposition. The scrum was good in the first half, we had a couple of bad scrums and then we came good in the end,” McKenzie said.

“That’s what scrummaging’s about. I think everyone expects every scrum to be perfect. You’re going to have bad scrums here and there, and the ref is going to make decisions… That’s the nature of the business.

“Ideally you don’t want to give away scrum penalties in front of your posts, but we worked our way through that.”

The Pumas will pose another challenge after dusting the Springboks upfront in Salta two weeks ago. But the Wallabies will carry into the game the memory of their watershed 54-17 win in Rosario last year.

The Australian pack survived a fierce onslaught at set-piece in that Test to come away with the win.

“It’s part of their rugby psyche, the scrum,” McKenzie said. “They certainly did a great job in South Africa the other day, but we had this discussion last time we played them – in Argentina – and we handled them well on the day.

“It’s actually about individual scrums. As you go through you have your bogey teams, but we scrummed well against Argentina last year, so I expect us to do the same.”

The Wallabies travelled to the Gold Coast on Sunday with some weight lifted from their shoulders. McKenzie said there were many areas in which the side needed to improve but he was happy to take the 24-23 victory against the world No.2-ranked Test side.

“When you’re involved in this business you take the wins you get,” he said.

“You have close wins, close losses, that’s the way it is. In the end it’s an 80-minute game and you do the best you can. We were pleased to get a win against a really good side.”

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The man at the centre of one of the season’s most controversial refereeing calls has paid tribute to “inspirational” rival Bryan Habana.

Wallabies winger Rob Horne was hit with a high tackle from the Springboks winger, who was sent to the sin bin for 10 crucial minutes at the end of the Wallabies’ one-point scrape over South Africa on Saturday.

While the tackle, hard and high around Horne’s neck in the 65th minute, was certainly worth a penalty, referee George Clancy’s production of a yellow card was roundly condemned by rugby fans and commentators and met with thinly veiled outrage by Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer after the match.

Horne, who went on to score the match-levelling try that was converted by Bernard Foley to steal a 24-23 victory, left the incident well alone, declining to comment on Clancy’s decision or its impact on the match.

But the Waratahs utility revealed he approached Habana to congratulate him on his 100th Test appearance after the whistle blew.

“I know I congratulated him after the game,” Horne said. “Anyone who plays 100 Tests for their country… it is a privilege to play against someone [like that].”

In a true sign of sportsmanship – and the dignity of the Springboks, who were seething after Habana’s absence gave the Wallabies crucial ascendancy from which Horne scored in the 78th minute – the Wallabies invited South Africa into their dressing room after the match and presented Habana with a Wallabies jersey to mark the milestone.

Australian coach Ewen McKenzie also addressed Habana, who became just the second winger beside David Campese to make the 100 Test mark.

Controversy aside, Horne said it was a relief to pull off the win after the side’s humiliating loss to the All Blacks a fortnight earlier.

“It was tough out there,” he said. “It was a bit of a war and a true test of character for our side.

“Coming off the back of the other week, we had to show our identity and what we’re all about. We kept on playing footy, and I think all our supporters would see how much it means for us tonight.”

Horne also praised the Wallabies forwards, who were singled out for tough criticism after a dire showing in Auckland.

“It is a huge challenge for a pack to go against a South African pack,” he said. “I thought our subs brought a lot as well. They brought some energy and that helped a lot.”

Wycliff Palu again topped the tackle count for the Wallabies, making 13 hits in a capable back row. It was a fitting response to accusations from commentator Greg Martin that he “dogged it” in Auckland.

“Anyone who has played with Wycliff knows what he brings to the side,” Horne said. “I think he rubbished those comments pretty well.”

The Wallabies flew to the Gold Coast on Sunday and immediately turned their minds to Argentina.

The Rugby Championship newcomers were still without a win in three years of competition, but narrowly missed a watershed victory against South Africa and were competent in Napier at the weekend.

“It’s a different challenge altogether,” Horne said of the Pumas. “They’re improving every year in the competition and we’re going to have to play well. It will be a challenge and hopefully we’ll get a good crowd there on the Gold Coast, and we can really roll off the back of them.”

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All Blacks fans may have seen the last of Sam Whitelock and Liam Messam in the Rugby Championship.

Coach Steve Hansen today confirmed the injuries the duo suffered in last night’s 28-9 win over Argentina in Napier could mean they don’t return for test duties until the dead rubber Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on 18 October.

The rib injury sustained by lock Whitelock forced him to retire in the first half and he was replaced by Jeremy Thrush, who impressed Hansen with his aggression in defence.

“He has got [a damaged] rib cartilage rather than a fracture so we will have to see over the next couple of days just how quickly that comes right,” Hansen said in reference to Whitelock.

“The worst case scenario is that he is out for probably four weeks. Best case scenario – probably three.”

Blindside flanker Liam Messam injured a quadriceps muscle as he ran in his try at McLean Park and despite attempts to keep playing was replaced by Sam Cane.

“He has done a quad – he is probably [out for] three or four weeks as well,” Hansen confirmed.

Rarely has Hansen watched his locking stocks take such a hammering since replacing Graham Henry as coach in 2012.

Luke Romano, who broke his fibula bone with the Crusaders, is still returning to full fitness and is racing the clock to be fit for the end-of-year tour.

Dominic Bird (turf toe) and Patrick Tuipulotu (ankle) were named in the Rugby Championship squad but have not played because of their injuries.

Before Whitelock succumbed to his rib complaint Hansen hoped to ease the two men back into action with their provinces but those plans may change ahead of Saturday’s match against the Springboks in Wellington.

While there appears little chance of Bird being fit, Tuipulotu could be available to be listed on the bench as back-up to Brodie Retallick and Thrush.

The major concern for Hansen will be Tuipulotu’s lack of match fitness.

Steven Luatua, who can cover lock and blindside flanker, could enter the mix.

Richie McCaw and Cane – the latter slotted in at openside flanker – combined well in Napier but Hansen may be reluctant to shift McCaw out of usual No 7 position against the Boks.

While starting Luatua would add some height to the lineout if he started at No 6 that would still leave the All Blacks short of a lock in the reserves.

There is little doubt Hansen was pleased by the way Thrush threw himself against the Pumas and barring an injury at training he is expected to make his first start against South Africa.

“He can be really proud of himself; defensively he was massive. He got up and disrupted some of their lineout ball and scrummed well. So he can be pretty pleased.”

Meanwhile, Hansen reiterated he would like to see the security staff at rugby matches prevent streakers at source rather than pulverising them in the tackle on the field.

Last night a woman ran on to the field and play had to be stopped until she was caught.

Hansen it was “not that big a deal”.

“She entertained everyone for 35 seconds. My beef is how they get on – it is not so much with the streakers.

“If they can get on good on them, go for it. I think we have got to have a better plan on how we stop them getting on and we don’t have to smash them over, either, when we finally catch-up with them.

“Just let them on and let them off – see you later.”

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Argentina lock Tomas Lavanini will miss next weekend’s Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies after being suspended by SANZAR on Sunday.

SANZAR judicial officer Adam Casselden accepted a guilty plea from Lavanini on a charge of dangerous charging after he was cited from Saturday’s match against New Zealand in Napier.

Lavanini has been suspended for one week up to and including September 13, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby said.

Having considered the available evidence, Lavanini was offered a one-week suspension which was accepted, it said.

Casselden said Lavanini’s actions were reckless but not intentional and his good playing record and early guilty plea were accepted as mitigating factors.

Argentina, who lost 28-9 to the All Blacks, face the Wallabies on the Gold Coast on Saturday.