England are bracing themselves for an Argentine
backlash at the weekend, when they take on the Pumas in
South America having
beaten them 37-15 at Old Trafford on
Saturday.
Manager
Martin Johnson has already warned his players they will need
to up their performance considerably to win again, and Pumas
captain Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe – who will play
for Toulon next season - said his players were hugely
disappointed with their Manchester display.
England
outscored Argentina by three tries to nil and also punished
their visitors through the boot of Brive fly-half Andy Goode
– who scored 22 points.
“England
had a good game-plan and were very good in the contact area.
We conceded too many penalties and that meant we were in our
half for much of the match,” said Lobbe.
“Cleaning the rucks and our discipline are two aspects that
we must improve quickly. Hopefully in Salta we will have the
same emphasis on going forward but also try to be better
cleaning the rucks and conceding less penalties so that we
can play in their half,” added the Pumas’ skipper.
“It was
going to be a big statement for us to come to England and
win. It would have been good for our confidence. We tried,
we could have done it but didn’t, so we need to put that
right in Salta. Hopefully we will win in Salta, but it will
take hard work and it will be tough,” said Lobbe.
New
Zealand have named uncapped Isaac Ross in their starting
XV for Saturday’s first Test against France in
Dunedin. He will partner Crusaders colleague Brad Thorn in
the second row in a team which, like France, has been hit
hard by injuries.
There
are only three survivors in the All Blacks starting line-up
from the last time these two sides met – at the 2007 World
Cup – and the team will be led by full-back Mils Muliaina.
Usual captain Richie McCaw is among a raft of absentees.
French
flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo, meanwhile, believes Les Bleus
will put up a better performance than on their last tour to
New Zealand. The 22-year-old Montpellier player made his
debut in the 61-10 thrashing handed down to them at
Wellington in June 2007.
“Compared with two years ago, this time we’re coming with
our best side. We’re coming to New Zealand to grow as a team
and to mark our territory,” said the 14 times capped
international.
New
Zealand team:
15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13
Isaia Toeava, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Stephen Donald,
9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Liam Messam, 7 Adam Thomson, 6 Kieran Read,
5 Isaac Ross, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore,
1 Tony Woodcock. Subs: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 John Afoa, 18
Bryn Evans, 19 Tanerau Latimer, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Luke
McAlister, 22 Cory Jane.
Elsewhere, while Perpignan’s Nathan Hines and Brive’s
Riki Flutey are busy trying to earn a place in the
British and Irish Lions’ starting XV, Toulon’s Ross
Skeate will be playing against the tourists after being
named in the Southern Kings team which will face them
on June 16 in Port Elizabeth.
Italy’s
South African coach Nick Mallett has described his
team’s forthcoming games against Australia and New Zealand
as a “tour from hell”.
“Even if I was coaching South Africa and had
to play Australia and New Zealand over three consecutive
Saturdays, I wouldn’t be happy with a tour like that. So,
when you’re coaching Italy, it’s obviously going to be a
huge challenge for the guys,” he added.
Italy
take on the Wallabies at the weekend, with Australian-born
Craig Gower set to make his Italy debut at fly-half. The
former Australian rugby league international was called up
for the first time by Mallett after enjoying an excellent
season with French Top 14 side Bayonne.
Italy
have lost their last eight Tests, and have won just twice
under Mallett since the 2007 World Cup, but the coach said
the IRB’s fixture list was primarily to blame for that.
“In 16
games in charge we still haven’t played a team lower than us
in the IRB rankings and between now and the World Cup [in
2011] there won’t be a single game against a team seeded
below us. Rugby should be a mix of playing against teams who
are better than you, at the same level and weaker than you.
“But if
you’re continually playing against sides vastly better than
you then it takes a very special kind of spirit to go out
there and keep trying,” he added.
