Los Pumas coach: “I don’t care about Independiente or Vélez, I don’t know any pitch”

The conference of every coach The Cougars, Michele Sheika, it is an opportunity to discover your thinking. With English as a natural language and Italian as a learned and necessary language to translate his thoughts into Spanish, Cheika’s sentences tend to reveal a thought without the euphemisms that a vocabulary full of synonyms allows. In his cocoliche, the Australian gave the team that will face South Africa on Saturday, with seven changes and the hope that the Argentine team will be the protagonist in the definition of the tournament.

Changes in the packaging have the return of Nahuel Tetaz Chaparrowho did not participate in the tour New Zeland and it will be in the place it occupied Thomas rooster to complete the sector with the captain Giuliano Montoia Y Edoardo Bellowhich will also be launched.

The second line will have German Matthias instead of Guido Petti next to Tommaso Lavaniniwhile John Martin Gonzalez will be the owner again in replacement of Santiago Grondona. Gonzalo Bertrano instead of Tommaso Cubelli in three quarters and Girolamo della Sorgente from Mattia Moroni, in the centers. The wing will be Lucio Cintiwho will enter within lamb of santiago.

“When we change players it is not that someone new arrives who does not know the system or his teammates. Here we have a group of 35 a little more, it depends, we are the same, always. It is important to support the group, to work together with the combinations we make, both on the pitch and in training, “Cheika explained after the owners and substitutes had met on Saturday.

“It’s a very united group, which sometimes starts the games or closes them, depending on the touch. The substitutes enter very well, with energy and desire. You have to work first with 32 (called up, 34 counting the guests) then with 23 (participants and substitutes) and then with 15 (who enter the field). Change team: today it’s my friend’s turn, then me and so on “, drew Cheika.

“For me, being in Los Pumas is very special. The players have an incredible dedication to the national team. We chat with them one by one and they are all very happy to be here, to play for Los Pumas. Above all, to foul. here in Argentina. For me it is an incredible experience, different from what I have experienced in other parts of the world, “Cheika said, putting together her sentences in Spanish, English and Italian.

“I understand why the player loves to play here in Argentina. The support we have in San Juan, Santiago (del Estero), Mendoza, Jujuy and Salta and what we expect on Saturday is incredible. We want to share the shirt with everyone, it’s the best experience. of rugby that I have, “he summed up.

In this sense, Cheika has made the change of stadium less dramatic: the first of the games against the Springboks would have been at Vélez, but at the beginning of the week the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) moved the game to Independiente because the playing field did not meet the required standard for the tournament.

“The change of stadium, for me, is the same: I don’t know any stadium, neither Vélez nor Independiente. I’m happy because they are playing in Argentina, at the moment the field doesn’t interest me.” he said with a laugh.

essay and reality

Ahead of the match against South Africa, Cheika was hoping for his team’s chances, as all four participants have their own chances of winning the tournament.

“Tactical planning is one thing and doing it on the pitch is another. You have to have a strategy, but you also have to react on the pitch to the things that happen,” warned the Australian of the unexpected events that the matches offer.

“It’s easy to be ready when playing with a world champion. The mentality of this group makes me very happy. Every week in training, in the matches we do, everyone has a very good attitude, always positive and focused on strategy. He plays.” , he reflected.

“The training is strong and I think with this weekly regularity it is very useful for growth over time. The championship is open on the fifth round and it is very good. I don’t know if it has ever been so open before. The important thing is that it is also open for us: the opportunity is also for us “, he remarked.

Cheika has seven games leading the selected team. The test matches against Scotland, the first two dates of the Championship against Australia – with a great match in the second match -; the third and fourth in New Zealand – with the unforgettable victory against the All Blacks – and now the eighth against the Springboks are added. Since his arrival, the coach has talked about laying the foundations to reach the World Cup in France in the best conditions.

“We are approaching the goal, we are moving towards it. I am very happy with the progress we have made, technically and mentally. There is a lot to do, of course, but the goal is the World Cup. The recovery of mentality ( it’s an aspect that) does me a lot of good “, he celebrated.

The Pumas will play Independiente on Saturday and close their participation in South Africa next week. But Cheika only thinks about the upcoming game.

“You only think about this match, for the other one we will see on Sunday. Surely I have an idea, a plan, but to be implemented next week. This week we only talk about Saturday, the focus is that”, he said. . completed.

The Pumas team that will face the Springboks: 1. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2. Julián Montoya (C), 3. Eduardo Bello; 4. Matías Alemanno 5. Tomás Lavanini; 6. Juan Martín González, 7. Marcos Kremer, 8. Pablo Matera; 9. Gonzalo Bertranou, 10. Santiago Carreras; 11. Lucio Cinti, 12. Matias Orlando, 13. Jerónimo de la Fuente, 14. Emiliano Boffelli; 15. Juan Cruz Mallia.

Substitutes: 16. Agustín Creevy, 17. Thomas Gallo, 18. Joel Sclavi, 19. Guido Petti, 20. Rodrigo Bruni, 21. Tomás Cubelli, 22. Benjamín Urdapilleta and 23. Matías Moroni.