Rugby Tri Nations: ‘They’re a dangerous side’ – The biggest threat the Pumas pose to the All Blacks

By Alex McLeod of RugbyPass.com

When the Pumas and All Blacks take the field at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, it will be Argentina’s first test match in 402 days.

The last time Mario Ledesma’s team played an official test was against the United States at last year’s World Cup, leaving them with a high chance of achieving the biggest victory over a New Zealand team they have never beaten.

Until a fortnight ago, a large number of Argentine players had not played a match since Super Rugby was suspended in March.

Even the games they have played in the last two weeks have only been against a Rugby Australia XV, certainly a far cry from the might of the All Blacks.

By comparison, Ian Foster’s team enjoyed a full Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign, reinstated the North vs South derby, locked up the Bledisloe Cup for one more year of a four-game series against Australia and currently leads the Tri-Nations.

The volume and quality of the games the New Zealanders have played since returning to action in June, unsurprisingly, places them as firm favorites to extend their lead in SANZAAR’s impromptu competition.

Aiding their bid to do just that is the return of eight key players who starred in the 43-5 beating of the Wallabies at Bledisloe III, all of whom missed a 24-22 defeat at the hands of the Australians in Brisbane last week. .

Pushing that cohort back into the New Zealand starting team removes the sense of unfamiliarity that was evident in the All Blacks squat at Suncorp Stadium.

Instead, they have been replaced by an XV that is widely regarded as Foster’s first racing squad.

With a halves pairing from Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith, three defenders from Beauden Barrett, Jordie Barrett and Caleb Clarke, as well as Patrick Tuipulotu, Joe Moody and Dane Coles up front, a lot is expected of the All Blacks captain. Sam Cane and his troops.

“I think based on the way we’ve trained this week, the group has been quite clinical,” Cane told reporters from the team’s Manly hotel during a Zoom call on Friday about how his team has prepared.

“We’ve been training well, and with that we just have to get the mental aspect of the game right, and it basically comes down to attitude and the desire to get out of our line on defense and a lot to do with work.” rate and things like that. “

Make no mistake, though, that quiet confidence doesn’t translate to complacency from New Zealand’s point of view.

After first arriving at camp in August, a month before Foster even named his starting All Blacks squad, Cane is aware of the unity and cohesion that will surely have formed among the Argentines.

He sees that as a genuine threat to his team’s chances of success, and hopes that an early attack by the Pumas will take a toll on the Kiwis’ hopes of an uncontrolled victory.

“Every time a team has had a lot of preparation for a test match and so much energy has been invested, it is always going to be a dangerous team,” he said.

“I think it is the first Argentine professional team to play and represent their country this year, so they will come out with immense pride and we know how passionate they can be, so we wait the first 20 minutes, particularly, so that everything is on. “.

Gaining some sort of ancestry over their counterparts in the early stages of the contest may be enough to allow the Pumas to thrive and play to their strengths.

Pointing out his physique and well-structured attack, Cane reaffirmed the importance of keeping the Argentines at bay.

“Obviously they can be very physical, but I think the hardest part about playing the Pumas at their best is their ability to keep the ball alive.

“Their unloading, they’re very good on their feet and they run good lines, so keeping the ball alive, getting behind the win line over and over again which can make them a tough beast to stop.

“We’re going to have to try to nullify that, get off the line, cut them off, put two men at the tackle, and hopefully we won’t see much of that tomorrow.”

This article first appeared on RugbyPass.com and has been republished with permission.