Wales went down to a 32-8 defeat against the Wallabies at the Principality as they once again fell at the first hurdle in the autumn.
“We were probably not at the races. We’d trained at a decent intensity, and we just haven’t delivered,” admitted Owens. “We need to make sure we are at the races from the start of the game next Saturday.
“We obviously didn’t get any ball in the first-half, which was hugely frustrating. They attacked very well and we failed to match them and meet them on the gain-line.
“They got the momentum, and there was something like an 80/20 split in terms of possession in the first-half. In Test match rugby, you are not going to get anything with that sort of deficit.
“We need to front-up, put a good shift in during the week and then have a massive test against Argentina next Saturday. All we can do now is learn the lessons of this week and turn up.
“Argentina are on a bit of a roll, they’ve beaten Japan and had a good Rugby Championship again, and they are going to be coming here looking for a win. We are going to have to turn up, get momentum into our game and deliver.”
Wales go on to face Argentina, Japan and South Africa in the Under Armour Series. The Pumas ran in seven tries in a 54-20 rout of Japan in Tokyo on Saturday.
Outside half Nicolas Sanchez scored 29 points, including two tries, for the Pumas, who were 21-6 up at half-time and surged even further clear after the interval at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. Meanwhile, the Springboks had a Rohan Janse van Rensburg’s try to thank for their 31-31 draw with the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium.
That try completed a comeback from 31-19 for the South Africans, who go on to meet England at Twickenham this weekend. They will close the Under Armour Series in Cardiff on 26 November.
