Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids spoke highly of Los Pumas and expected a brutal battle up-front and well-balanced performance from the home side all around on Saturday at 23:00 (SA Time) at Estadio Unico Madre Ciudades.
While the Boks were under no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge ahead for their Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign and for the individual players who will play in Argentina for the first time, they looked forward to the match.
“They are a well-coached team, with a local coach (in Felipe Contepomi), and they are on an upward curve in terms of their performances,” said Davids.
“They have their usual tough customers up-front, so we expect a big set-piece challenge, and then they have backs who are fast and talented, many of whom come out of their sevens structures. So we’ll be facing a balanced and settled team.
“That said, the important thing for us will be to stick to our plans and structures and be ready for any challenges they throw at us on the day.”
“We are really excited about the opportunity to play against Los Pumas here,” said Davids.
“We know it’s going to be tough, and they are a on a high after beating New Zealand and Australia, while they also know they have a chance to win the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, so it’s going to be a very tough encounter.”
Davids justified the decision to begin their training week in Buenos Aires and then travel to Santiago del Estero on Wednesday night where they will wrap up their preparations for the clash: “We are quite familiar with the surroundings and training facilities here, so it allowed us to settle in well without any disturbances. The positive is that we will still have sufficient time in Santiago del Estero to adapt there before the game.”