All Blacks v Argentina: Pumas coach Michael Cheika ready for Rugby Championship to kick off

Michael Cheika and Ian Foster will meet again on Sunday morning. Photo / photosport.nz

Michael Cheika could feel the intensity and aggression rise in training as the Pumas’ encounter with the All Blacks crept closer.

The Argentina coach thinks his side have been fortunate in the scheduling of the Rugby Championship and hosting the defending champions is exactly what they need to overcome an admittedly difficult preparation.

Much of it occurred remotely, with the squad drawn from the Northern Hemisphere, but Cheika noticed the players significantly lift in the last week as the lure of taking on the All Blacks in front of their own fans came closer into view.

“It really sharpens the mind when you have to play New Zealand first up – I like that and the boys like that too,” the Australian said. “You felt the intensity rise this week, the tension, the aggression at training, it’s creeping up as we get closer to the game.

“I couldn’t really have asked for much more considering some of the things put in front of us. For all the difficulties that we have to encounter that New Zealand don’t, I feel like we’ve had a really positive preparation with a lot of commitment from the players.”

The commitment was aligned only to Sunday morning’s game, with Cheika believing the looming World Cup offered no extra motivation. The chance to beat the All Blacks in Argentina for the first time was the only incentive needed, along with a shortened schedule in this year’s Rugby Championship that created a simpler path to the crown.

“They’re extremely motivated – that’s one thing I’ve learnt over here. I don’t think [the World Cup] is a carrot, more than a diamond you’d want to get later on. The carrot here is just being in the Celeste y Blanco and playing here in Mendoza,” Cheika said.

“Yes, the games are important for the preparation for the World Cup, because you can train all you like but the best preparation you’re going to have is playing these kinds of games against the best teams in the world.

“But on top of that, there’s still a very nice trophy that we’ve never won up for grabs here. It’s a shorter version but it’s a real opportunity to get in there and think about the two things at the same time, which you’ve got to do.

“I’m not prioritising one over the other at this stage, and I don’t think you have to – we’re getting the best of both worlds. We’ve made our selections with certain things in mind but preparation stops at a certain point and the game begins.”

Argentina received a 50-point thumping in their last game against the All Blacks, but that came only a week after their historic victory in Christchurch. With more history possibly on Sunday, Cheika was avoiding too much focus on the potential first, knowing a balance needed to be found.

“It’s always challenging in the lead-up to the big test matches like this – how much does emotion play and how much does logic play in preparation and strategy,” he said. “You can’t go into the game thinking, let’s do this for the first time. You’ve got to go out there and just do it...the sponsor will be happy.”