Australia pursue three in a row against wounded Pumas

Friday, 24 September 2021 00:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

BRISBANE (AFP): Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has urged his team to stay focused as they eye three wins in a row for the first time since 2017 against a wounded Argentina on Saturday.

Australia head into the Rugby Championship fifth-round clash with momentum and confidence after consecutive victories over South Africa, propelling them to number three in the world.

In contrast, Los Pumas and coach Mario Ledesma are under mounting pressure after four straight defeats, scoring just two tries while conceding 136 points.

Despite this Rennie remains cautious of a team battling to bounce back, and conscious that Argentina frustrated his side by grinding out two draws last season.

“We know the Argentinians will be desperate because they have had four losses so far and they’re a good side,” he said Thursday ahead of the clash in Townsville, in northern Queensland, the second game of a double-header with New Zealand facing South Africa in the early match.

“They’ll want to express themselves, they throw more passes (than South Africa), they counter when given the opportunity and they are very good at it.

“They’re also very good at filling the field, are disciplined around defence and can be hard to break down.” “What we’ve learned over the past few weeks is we have to hang in the fight for a long time, sometimes it takes 60 or 70 minutes to crack a side,” he added.

“We’re certainly in no position to sit back and relax and be happy. We’re still a long way from the team we reckon we could be.”

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