The self-criticism of the Los Pumas TD after the defeat against South Africa: “The 19 penalties are not possible, I don’t understand”

Los Pumas’ defeat ended with the hopes that mobilized the previous test against South Africa. The leading role in the Rugby Championship, vanished on the Independiente field. Although the general analysis indicates that the first half was negative for the Argentine team and, on the contrary, the second good, for the national team manager Michael Cheika, the balance is not so linear.

“In the second half we were able to start winning the contact and we managed to settle in. I think we managed to get strong, at times, and to get back to basics, to power, to deal with strength,” Cheika listed the aspects. positive.

“But not all the second half, huh. Because the last six or seven minutes haven’t left me happy. We made two very easy attempts for them. I didn’t like it “, remarked the two decisive plays for the final result.

“In the first half it is not easy to think about it immediately after the game, I need a little more reflection. But it was a different team and we had to have only one team for 80 minutes”, he analyzed.

“The 19 penalties (committed) are not possible: it is strange because in the last two games, against New Zealand, we were among the least penalized in the championship, I don’t know what happened. We must have resilience and keep thinking about how to beat the team. opponent You need a solid team during the eighty minutes “, distinguished.

word of the captain

For the captain of the Los Pumas, Giuliano Montoia, the analysis followed the same path proposed by the trainer. “In the first half we weren’t physically present, we weren’t good at defense: they got in easily and overtook us territorially. And discipline was something that failed. In the second half, however, they had two yellow cards and we brought it to 22-20 to win it, “he analyzed.

“But when you play with a team of this caliber, you have to play 80 minutes and today we didn’t. We watched until the last minute and that’s fine, but there are a lot of things to look inside and learn,” he remarked.

“We have to have discipline, do you think … We have to keep watching. The first half can’t happen again: you can’t give yourself so much advantage against teams like this. Penalties, maul attempts … we’ve had everything right, it’s not enough with the ‘we would have what’, we have to start doing “, he closed.