Ex-Puma keeps fingers crossed All Blacks play badly

Former Argentine halfback Agustin Pichot says he will be disappointed if his team gets 'battered' on Sunday. Photo / Greg Bowker

The captain of the Argentine rugby side that came closest to toppling the All Blacks says there is no recipe for beating New Zealand ahead of their Rugby World Cup clash: "You just have to hope they play poorly."

Former halfback Agustin Pichot, whose side was pipped by six points in 2006, arrived in Auckland yesterday.

The 75-cap star is in the country to discuss Argentina's place in the expanded Tri-Nations tournament, but added that he hoped for more than one Argentine game.

The Pumas have never beaten New Zealand, but lost narrowly in 2001 (20-24 in Buenos Aires) and 2006 (19-25, also in Buenos Aires).

Asked for advice for Felipe Contempomi's team ahead of their knockout match on Sunday, Pichot said: "There's no advice on how to beat the All Blacks. On that day [in 2006] we played really well and the All Blacks played really poorly.

"But this time they [the All Blacks] feel the pressure - they have not won a World Cup in a while. To beat them, we will have to give 110 per cent in every department. If we do this, it is achievable.

"We can not take it too dramatically; it is only a game of rugby. Playing against New Zealand in New Zealand at a World Cup is once-in-a-lifetime."

Pichot steered the Pumas to third place at the Rugby World Cup in France in 2007, an achievement he felt was unlikely to be topped by this year's team.

Before the tournament, he downplayed Argentina's chances, saying the side's preparation - one test in 11 months - was insufficient for a title challenge.

"Qualification [for the quarter-finals] was the first goal. But I will be disappointed if I see the guys get battered on Sunday."

Now working behind the scenes as director of the Argentine union's high-performance board, Pichot said he was looking forward to enjoying the tournament without the stress of captaining the side.

He also intended to visit his friend Jonah Lomu in Auckland City Hospital, where the All Black legend is having treatment for problems with his transplanted kidney.

Pichot was among a plane-load of Argentines who told the Herald they have not travelled across the Pacific to watch a single match.

"We're not here for sightseeing," said one supporter at Auckland Airport. "We came to make this jetlag worthwhile - to win."

Rugby World Cup quarter-final: All Blacks v Argentina, Eden Park, Sunday 8.30pm.