Rugby: Improving Pumas serious threat

Sam Whitelock is ready to focus on the match at hand. Photo / Glenn Taylor

All Black lock Sam Whitelock is adopting a look to the past rather than the future approach this week.

The 26-year-old veteran of 56 tests could have been excused if he approached Saturday night's test against Argentina with an eye on the first pool clash in next year's World Cup in the United Kingdom which happens to be between the same two teams.

"It's critical we focus on the game at hand, if not we could come unstuck," Whitelock said yesterday.

Like his teammates and the ABs coaching staff, Whitelock, is happy to look at the lessons learned in that dour August 16 test in Sydney which ended in a 12-all draw in anticipation of another wet night at McLean Park.

"We're not all from Dunedin," Whitelock quipped, referring to the fact Highlanders and Otago players have the advantage of playing under the roof in Forsyth Barr Stadium. "We just have to trust our skills and use short passes with nice soft hands."

Fullback Ben Smith pointed out the ABs didn't adapt to the conditions as well as they should have in Sydney.

"We've got to raise our game and the back three has to be smarter. The Pumas' kicking game is a lot smarter now."

Assistant coach Ian Foster agreed. "They've always been great natural punters of the ball but now they are starting to intertwine that with a smarter strategy of where to kick it," Foster said.

"Rather than just kicking it long or high I think they are becoming a bit more thoughtful. There weren't a lot of counter-attacking opportunities last week for South Africa so clearly Argentina did a really good job of that.

"We want to pressure that part of their game, we want to make sure when they do kick we get some ball on our terms."

The former Chiefs mentor acknowledged the improvement the Pumas have made in recent years.

"They're knocking on the door each year. This year having looked through the tapes of those two games [against the Springboks] in particular, we think they are dramatically improved from last year.

"I'm not sure the words 'giving South Africa a scare' are the right way to describe it. They were in control of that game and lost it in the last minutes [33-31]," Foster said.

Foster also agreed the rain could be a leveller.

"It's been good training today in the wet. It will prepare us well," he said after yesterday's session at Park Island.

The All Blacks' 23 will be announced in the morning and Foster stressed there would be no nostalgia-type selections related to the Magpies in the squad.

Whitelock pointed out the ABs forwards were aware of the challenge the Pumas lineout presented.

"They have some quite big guys. We have to get just as high, if not higher. Getting used to their traits is harder because unlike the Aussies and South Africans they don't play Super Rugby."

When Smith was quizzed on the level of cheek Magpies fullback Israel Dagg had been throwing around in the wake of the Magpies' Ranfurly Shield victory last week, he said he was happy Otago had the next challenge.

"Hopefully the team comes up here and does the job. If Izzy starts getting too loud I'm sure Aaron Smith can jump on the Otago bandwagon. I know he's from Manawatu but he plays for the Highlanders," Smith said.