Careers & Tenders
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/ 10 October 2003

Pumas set for a Wallaby hiding

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Remember Cameroon vs Argentina, the first game of the 1990 soccer World Cup in Italy? Or Senegal vs France, the opening clash of the 2002 World Cup?

Now let’s look ahead to Argentina vs Australia in Sydney on Friday (12.30pm South African time), the first game of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Seriously, if nine-man Cameroon managed to beat holders Argentina in 1990 and Senegal defeated world and European champs France last year, what price a bit of Argie bargie to launch the Thunder Down Under?

Initially I thought a Puma-ling might be on the cards … but now I’m not so sure.

Joe Roff, a survivor of the 1999 triumph along with George Gregan and Matt Burke, reckons: ‘This squad is the best-prepared team I’ve ever been involved with. Argentina are going to be fired up and their forwards are going to be a massive job. It’s up to us to raise the bar.”

And I think they will. My Aussie mates tell me rugby league import Mat Rogers is in sensational form, Gregan is as sharp as ever and with the nation getting behind their team, I’m having serious worries over my rash prediction of a New Zealand vs England final.

Sure, Australia have won only once in five, but that was against top opposition.

Worryingly, the Argentinians have left out their Jonny Wilkinson, kicker Gonzalo Queseda, keeping Felipe Contepomi at flyhalf.

Yet Quesada top scored at the 1999 World Cup with 102 points.

Coach Marcelo Loffreda says: ‘Felipe is close to Gonzalo as a kicker,” but most Australians remember Contepomi missing seven out of nine kicks in their defeat by the Wallabies last year.

Sure, the Argies have beaten France twice and gone close against South Africa this year, but I reckon Australia will be a touch too tough.

The big game in Group A, therefore, will be Ireland vs Argentina on October 26 to decide who makes the quarterfinals.

Still, let’s hope I’m wrong. With the Aussie cricketers strutting their stuff against poor Zimbabwe down the road at the Western Australia Cricket Association this weekend, wouldn’t it be nice to see this arrogant nation humbled on their own soil!