Hush plea to crowd likely to fall on deaf ears

IT SOUNDS nice in theory, though a plea from Alejandro Sangenis is likely to fall on deaf ears when Daniel Carter lines up a goal kick at Estadio Ciudad de La Plata tomorrow.

Argentinian fans have been urged to emulate their counterparts in Ireland and not boo or whistle when Carter shoots at the posts.

“Rugby fans need to go back to their old values. Argentines were called the ‘white knights’ of rugby, and we would like to go back to that, to the real spirit of rugby,’’ said Sangenis, a member of the Rugby Without Borders foundation.

He was disappointed when South Africa’s kickers were subjected to a cacophony of shrill whistling in the 16-16 draw in Mendoza last month and hoped a capacity crowd of 53,000 would be more sporting – an unlikely scenario given Argentinian fans are traditionally boisterous.

Carter was given the silent treatment at Croke Park and Lansdowne Rd in Dublin during the All Blacks’ Grand Slam tours of 2008 and 2010 and admitted it was an unnerving experience when the crowd hushed as he stepped back from the kicking tee.

In contrast to Sangenis’ appeal, Los Pumas hooker Eusebio Guinazu urged fans to create a raucous atmosphere to lift their team. “I think the match is going to be a party like the one we had in Mendoza. I hope the crowd support and cheer us on as they always do, since that help will be very good for us.”

Meanwhile, Carter will not practise at the test venue because All Blacks management opted against holding their captain’s run at the stadium because of travel demands.

“I’ll have a few kicks as per my usual routine before the game,” said Carter, on the eve of his 90th test. ‘‘That’ll be my first chance to get to the stadium. It’s one of those things I’ll have to adapt to. I’m not worried at all.”

Centre Conrad Smith and wing Cory Jane said far from being daunted, the All Blacks were looking forward to enduring a typically passionate South American sporting experience.

“You want to experience this kind of stuff. We’ve just got to start well and try and take the crowd out of it,” Jane said.

Smith missed the previous All Blacks test in Buenos Aires in 2006 but had an inkling of what to expect after watching a Serie A match in Rome on his first tour two years earlier. “It was pretty crazy and I think it’ll be something similar.”