The Wallabies should stick to playing rugby rather than whingeing about Argentina’s ‘dirty tactics’ ahead of their World Cup opening match, Pumas skipper Agustin Pichot said here on Wednesday.
Pichot arrived here on Wednesday and rebuked Wallaby flyhalf Stephen Larkham for his comments that the Pumas would resort to dirty tactics when the teams meet in the opening match of the 20-nation tournament here on October 10.
Larkham said the Pumas will do ”whatever it takes” to beat Australia, even a possible repeat of questionable tactics which tarnished their last encounter in Buenos Aires 11 months ago.
The Wallabies got home 17-6, but they complained of being eye-gouged, punched, kicked and spat upon during the international at River Plate Stadium.
At the time Pichot called the Wallabies cheats who played negative rugby.
Scrumhalf Pichot, who arrived in the second wave of the Argentine team on Wednesday, wasn’t about to get into a verbal skirmish so soon after his long flight from South America.
”It’s not good to talk about playing dirty — great players should stick to playing without talking,” Pichot said.
”I don’t think we’re dirty, we just play as physically as we can because that’s our strength. Anyway it’s up to the referee to decide.”
Pichot, who took over the captaincy after centre Lisandro Arbizu was forced out with a knee injury, said Arbizu’s loss was critical for the Pumas.
”Lisandro was very important for us in the structural defence of the midfield,” Pichot said.
”It’s tough to replace him but we’re trying new things in the midfield and working out who is going to replace him.
”We have been very strong in the midfield so we need to get back to that.”
Pichot would not be drawn on whether he could lead Argentina to a repeat of their 1999 quarter-final appearance.
The seventh-ranked Pumas square up against defending champions Australia and Ireland, ranked third in the latest IRB ratings.
”Trying to qualify for the quarter-finals is going to be terrible with Australia and Ireland in our group,” he said.
”Australia has a great team and playing at their home ground it’s going to be very hard for us.”
The South Americans have won four and drawn one of 16 Tests against Australia since 1979.
One of those wins was in Brisbane in 1983 and the last time they played here they battled away to a 32-25 loss in Canberra in 2000. – Sapa-AFP