By MARK CASHMAN

Former Wallabies skipper Tony Shaw has always been a trailblazer, the “bust through or bust” style a constant throughout his rugby career.

Wallaby No.565 led the national team through a time of great revival – from 1978 through until 1982 – with his “blood and thunder” style of leadership a vital brick in the search for international respect.

Shaw was always prepared to push the boat out and it was fitting that he led the Wallabies on their first foray to South America.

The Wallabies toured to Argentina at the end of the 1979 winter sharing a two-Test series against Los Pumas in what were at times difficult circumstances.

The first Test of the series in Buenos Aires was the classic ambush with the Wallabies winning all four of the lead up games.

But they were literally kicked to death by the great Los Pumas skipper Hugo Porta at flyhalf in the 24-13 loss.

Porta scored 16 points in that Test match including three field goals in a masterful display that underlined his ranking as the best No.10 in the world at the time.

Elsewhere Los Pumas showed that they were far from a one-man band with the two metre tall Iachetti brothers Marcos and Alejandro dominating the middle of the lineouts.

The Wallaby scrum also got a bit of a touch up with Enrique ‘Topo’ Rodriguez a major player in the Los Pumas front row some years before he migrated to Australia.

One of the great stories that this correspondent has heard from that Test did not revolve around the actual game.

It was from the after Test function where I am told scrum half debutant Philip Cox tackled Porta late in the night in a time where recovery wasn’t as religiously followed as it is today.

A superb around the legs number after which Cox got up and joked with Porta that he had tried to get his hand on him for 80 plus minutes without any joy.

Shaw’s Wallabies were stung by the result in a Test match that most good judges felt was there for the taking for the tourists.

So they knuckled down, fixed their scrum and lineout and adopted a game plan devised coach Bob Templeton and the team leaders to simply keep the ball out of Porta’s hands.

It was not a simple thing to execute but the Wallabies got most things right and they were able to square the series with a 17-12 win in Buenos Aires.

Scrum parity was a vital part of that game plan and Chris Handy, Bill Ross and Stan Pilecki came to the fore.

“I think the moment we realised we had started to achieve our task was when the opposition hooker’s mouthguard fell into the middle of the tunnel with two of his teeth embedded it,” Handy told Peter Jenkins’ superbly-crafted book ‘Wallaby Gold. The History of Australian Test Rugby’.

“It was probably one of the most sensational, satisfying, exhilarating moments I have experienced.”

Overall the Wallabies hold the advantage winning 31 of the 45 Test matches with three draws between the two nations.

But in recent times the results have been a whole lot closer with the matches being shared evenly over the past couple of seasons.

All these years on it remains a tough place to play Test rugby with the home side a genuine force in world rugby so who better to lead a Gullivers supporters tour than Shaw.

It’s a 10-night rugby and cultural journey through Argentina from August 27 through to September 6 that will take in the Wallabies two-Test series against Argentina.

Travelling across Buenos Aires, Salta, Iguazú Falls and Mendoza, you will explore iconic landscapes and immerse yourself in authentic Argentine traditions.

When we say “immerse yourself in authentic Argentina traditions” we are talking about lots of red meat being washed down by some good red wine – Malbec is the dominant grape variety in the region.

Inclusions feature five internal flights, 10 nights’ accommodation, daily breakfasts plus selected lunches and dinners, premium match tickets, winery visits in Salta and Mendoza, a traditional Estancia Gaucho Ranch experience, the Argentine side of Iguazú Falls with the Great Adventure excursion, and a dinner and tango show in Buenos Aires.

Shaw has been to Argentina twice on rugby tours, once as a player in 1979 and again as President of Rugby Australia when he did all the ceremonials when the Wallabies were there under Michael Cheika in 2015.

“It’s just a fabulous place to tour,” Shaw offered

“We arrive in Buenos Aires to start the tour but the two Test matches are out in the country areas of Salta and Mendoza which will be fantastic.

“It’s a stunning, stunning country. We will see the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls, gauchos at work on a cattle ranch and a tango night in Buenos Aires.”

The main focus though will be on the two Test matches in Salta on August 29 and Medoza on September 5.

“It’s will be electric, absolutely electric,” Shaw added.

“The Tests are essentially being played in soccer stadium, one that has a capacity of 20,000 and the other 40,000.

“These are earthy style of stadiums, not big and impersonal, and there will be a manic feel right from the time we arrive at the ground.

“It will be loud and boisterous but I am sure our little pocket of Wallaby Gold support will be there trying to be heard – one of those once in a lifetime experiences.”

Shaw has led numerous Gullivers tours taking groups to the Rugby World Cups in England, Japan and most recently France.

He is an experienced operator in these matters and his presence will open the door to many once in a lifetime experiences.

You never know you may even get some field goal tips from the great man Hugo Porta!

Click here for all the details!