Mario Ledesma
It is going to be an emotional week for an emotional man. For 20 years, Mario Ledesma, the proudest of Argentines, gave everything for the Pumas’ cause at the head of their mighty scrum. This week, he is charged with obliterating the prospect of the greatest day in his country’s rugby history.
Ledesma, one of the game’s greatest hookers who helped Argentina reach new heights at 4 Rugby World Cups, is now transforming Australia’s pack, as the coach of the vastly improved Wallabies’ scrum.
On Sunday, the popular Ledesma’s Australian charges face their most demanding test yet against the team whose reputation for scrummaging prowess was so greatly enhanced by the flinty 42-year-old from Buenos Aires.
The Twickenham semifinal, Australian coach Michael Cheika understands, is bound to be a strangely conflicting experience for such a passionate servant of Argentine rugby.
He also knows it will not stop Ledesma from continuing to put “120%” into the Wallabies’ team he has learned to love over the past year. Either way, it will probably end in tears for “Super Mario”.
Knowledge, technique, dedication:
“It’s very special for Mario,” Cheika smiled at the Australian team headquarters in Teddington on Tuesday. “It’s obviously a big game for him, and he likes to shed a tear now and then in the dressing room or the team meeting just for a bit of fun.
“I remember when we went to Mendoza to play Argentina in The Rugby Championship and we were walking up the stairs before the match and I said to him, ‘Are you going to sing your anthem, the Argentine anthem?’ And he wasn’t sure if he was allowed or not.
“I said, ‘Of course, that’s your heritage’ and I want him to love that. But I know he loves this team, he loves being involved in this team and he’ll do anything he possibly can this week to make sure this team is in the best possible spot going forward.”
Adding with a laugh that he did not expect Ledesma to change nationality, Cheika enthused about a man who “always does his job to the maximum and gives 120% each time that he is with the team.”
The Australia coach continued: “Mario has the knowledge, the technique and a philosophy and the dedication to go to the end. He spends his time reflecting on what he is going to do so he doesn’t just arrive at training and make up his mind there and then.
“He also takes players to one side and deals with them individually. So he has also been a success on the human front as he has touched the players in a very positive way with his emotions.”
Infectious passion:
Cheika was at Stade Francais when he 1st tracked Ledesma, who was then playing for Clermont, as a potential coach. He later brought him to the Waratahs and then the Wallabies, where his passionate input has impressed the players.
Australia prop Scott Sio, who seems to be winning his battle to be fit for Sunday’s match after suffering an elbow injury against Scotland, explained how Ledesma’s major contribution had been to bring back enjoyment and real combativity to forwards’ training sessions.
“He’s tough at training but he’s very passionate about what he does and it really rubs off onto everyone,” Sio said. “And everyone really enjoys coming in for scrum sessions. In the past, people looked at scrums and thought ‘oh no, scrum sessions’ but we really enjoy it. He’s brought a great vibe to the unit session as a whole and everyone’s buying into it.
“He’s made us understand that attitude is half the battle out there. As strong as you can be and however great your technique is, if you’re not prepared to get on top of your opposition you’ve already lost half the battle. We’ve had some very heated sessions during the week and that’s what you need going into these big games.”
Worm’s eye view:
Apparently, during training, Ledesma, who won 84 caps for the Pumas, likes to get so close to the action that he will lie on his back precariously at the entry to the scrum tunnel to get a worm’s eye view of the front-row battle as the forwards pack down against each other.
But Ledesma, who was part of the Argentina side that famously humbled John Eales’ Wallabies back in 1997 – the 1st of only 2 Pumas’ victories against Australia – knows there is work to do this weekend after his men failed to subdue Scotland’s pack at the weekend.
“It’s obviously a big week for Mario, very emotional, but he’ll stay focused on getting our scrum to improve,” Cheika said. “And it needs to improve because there is obviously a very strong Argentina scrum waiting for us.”