Michael Cheika hints at something special to beat 'favourites' Wales
Argentina head coach Michael Cheika believes the Pumas will need “something different” and “something special” in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Wales.
Wales sailed through their group, winning four games and collecting 19 points from a possible 20.
Argentina, meanwhile, lost to 14-man England, struggled past Samoa and then had to beat Japan in an eliminator to make the last eight.
It has led to Wales – they have lost only two of their last 11 Tests against Argentina – being installed as firm favourites for the Stade Velodrome showdown in Marseille.
“We know Wales are favourites, and that is pretty clearly obvious. Everyone has made that point to us, bar our Argentine supporters,” Cheika said.
“We know that we are going to have to do something different, something special around the game on Saturday so that we can be competitive with them.
“But I am a huge believer in the team, in our team. I love the fellas, they are always together, they are a very committed team and I know that they will really enjoy this occasion.
“They have felt a bit of that expectation of trying to make it through, and I think they will really enjoy Saturday. From the work we’ve done I feel like they will feel like they are ready.
“It is not as much the confidence from what we are seeing in camp here, it’s about understanding the body of work that has been going on for a year-and-a-half now, coming on two years, since I have been with the team.
“All those things we have been working on in that time that will give us that feeling of being ready for a game.”
Cheika has made two changes from the side that secured a quarter-final place by beating Japan in Nantes last weekend.
Scrum-half Thomas Cubelli replaces Gonzalo Bertranou, while Facundo Isa is chosen in the back-row instead of Pablo Matera, who suffered a tournament-ending hamstring injury during the Japan game.
Cubelli has played just 110 minutes of Test rugby this year, starting against Spain and Chile.
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The weather was dreadful but the playing surface was great so there is no real excuse for such another poor standard of play from both sides. Dragons just the better team. But, what a shocking decision by the TMO not to award the Fifita try. This pretty much sums up Welsh rugby with poor teams and poor officials. The WRU have a lot of work to do and it needs to be done quickly to avoid rugby being lost to our future generations.
Go to commentsNo chance of Borthwick selecting any young talent. He announced his selection policy from the outset with naming a poor OF as Captain, retaining an equally poor Youngs and Vunipola brothers when there were many better EQP in the Premiership. SB revival of Leicester was based on SA muscle and a terrific Welsh flanker he has generally ignored young English talent.
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