We’re going to beat Pumas, promises Wallabies’ Genia
BUENOS AIRES: Australia need a victory over Argentina next weekend to avoid the wooden spoon in this year’s Rugby Championship and scrumhalf Will Genia has assured fans the points are in the bag for the Wallabies.
Australia sit bottom of the four-team table, three points behind the Pumas, after winning only one of their five games in this year’s tournament.
But Genia told reporters he had no doubt the Aussies would put that bad run behind them in Salta on Saturday.
“We’re going to win,” he said after Australia’s 23-12 defeat by South Africa in Port Elizabeth. “I’m telling you, we’re going to win. We’re going to get them Argentina back, 100 percent.”
Such confidence is hardly merited by a team who have won only two of their last 10 Tests.
Even though the Wallabies sit two places above the Pumas in the world rankings the home side have every right to feel like favourites after recording two wins in the Rugby Championship for the first time since they joined the competition in 2012.
Argentina beat Australia on the Gold Coast to add the Wallabies scalp to an earlier victory over South Africa.
But Genia said the Australians played well without reward against the Springboks.
“We’re doing good thing creating opportunities, we’re creating scoring plays,” he said. “We’ve just got to stick at it. That’s the area of improvement I think moving into this week.”
“They will be difficult. They are playing a really good brand of rugby. They’re confident and they’ll know they’re coming off the back of having beaten us in Australia. It’ll be tough. But we are going to go there and we are going to win.”
New Zealand won the championship for the third consecutive year when they beat Argentina 35-17 in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
Meanwhile, New Zealand coach Steven Hansen said the All Blacks are expected to win every Test match and will be looking to beat hosts South Africa on Saturday even if they have clinched this year’s Rugby Championship.
“It’s not about anything other than having to win,” Hansen said. “The expectations are that we win every Test match and we’ve got to win them well, so nothing will change for us.”