Pumas dreaming to overcome All Blacks
buenos aires — Argentina’s quest of more than 30 years to land the biggest scalp in world rugby continues when the Pumas clash with New Zealand in a Rugby Championship test at Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
Argentina have beaten all the top rugby nations bar the world champions, coming closest in a 21-21 draw in 1985, but they have so far fallen short against the All Blacks despite the familiarity of meeting twice a year since 2012.
New Zealand can retain the title with a win ahead of their final test in South Africa next week. They have 19 points to 11 for the Springboks, 8 for Australia and none for Argentina.
The Pumas today are a side admired by New Zealand as they have acquired an impressive attacking game but the risks they take in going forward are exploited by their southern hemisphere rivals as they tire in the latter stages of a test.
“I think fatigue is what leads to
We need to stick to our game system to the last minute, which is what I think we don’t do Marcos Kremer
our performance diminishing a bit and our game becoming a bit disorganised,” lock Marcos Kremer said. “We need to stick to our game system to the last minute, which is what I think we don’t do, because 10 to 15 minutes from the end we start to lose it and the result escapes us.”
Argentina led New Zealand 16-15 at halftime and by seven points after 50 minutes in their previous meeting in New Plymouth on Sept. 9 before conceding three converted second half tries in the final half hour and going down 39-22. Prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro said an important part of Argentina’s training this week has been on always having a man marking an All Blacks opposite. —