LOW TACTICS: Pumas wing Horacio Agulla believes Argentina will need to tackle low if they are to beat the All Blacks.
Belief is a valuable commodity. When it comes to the Rugby Championship that mental barrier, more than any physical or skill disparity, is holding the Pumas back.
For the most part, Argentina’s set-piece laid a near exemplary platform in two narrow defeats against the Springboks. Similar dominance saw the All Blacks run up half a century against the Wallabies.
The Pumas should have claimed at least one victory over the Boks, but instead left Auckland for Napier yesterday still feeling the frustration of another missed opportunity.
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“Yeah, it’s not the first time,” Pumas wing Horacio Agulla said.
“There’s been a couple of games when we’ve been very close and we could have won. Hopefully we can start winning games, that’s why we are here.”
Much like the Welsh against Southern Hemisphere nations, the Pumas must learn to believe they can, indeed, beat the world’s best.
Their scrum was a genuine weapon; their lineout variations provided a stern test, physicality from their forward pack was sapping and they were now attempting to add endeavour to their arsenal.
It was difficult, of course, to strongly invest in something you have never achieved. One draw in 1985 from 22 tests was the closest the Pumas have come to the All Blacks.
Until they record a breakthrough win, it would be more hope than wholehearted belief. For this reason alone the Kiwi public also tended to write off the Argentinean’s chances of success.
“We need to start believing we can beat these teams,” Agulla said.
“We know they are the best teams in the world, but once we win a game that belief will come. We need to break that barrier.”
Historically, the Pumas have competed with the All Blacks for 60-odd minutes, only to fade in the final quarter. This was the case against the Boks, too.
“This is something we have to learn against the best teams in the world,” Pumas coach Daniel Hourcade said.
“We played very well but in the last minute we stopped playing as a team and played as individuals.”
Argentina’s recent record in New Zealand was much more favourable than their home results.
Over the last two years they lost 21-5 in Wellington and 28-13 in Hamilton – both were ugly victories in miserable conditions for the All Blacks. With rain forecast tomorrow, a familiar script could follow.
Despite the expected conditions, Hourcade has encouraged his men to maintain their new-found attacking approach.
“We have been training our attack systems for a long time now.
“We are going to try and play this way to all the teams – All Blacks, South Africa and Australia.
“We know we have to take care because of the weather conditions but we will stick to this type of game.”