Australia fear the Puma bite
"You can't underestimate them, you do so at your peril and we won't. Every World Cup, they're very good.
"Argentina are playing with a lot of confidence. They are throwing the ball around, their back three are explosive and overall, when this side is playing with confidence, they are very dangerous," Matt Giteau said.
Giteau, who is enjoying a new lease of Wallaby life after the ARU relaxed the rules on selecting foreign-based players, said the Pumas are a very different proposition to the side he had played against in the 2003 World Cup.
"12 years, gee [sic] its been that long! They're as always very passionate and skillful but since that time they've added a lot to their game. Their explosiveness at the back is different and if you allow them to go wide they will burn you. That shows how far they've come," he added.
Giteau, the one remaining player from the 2003 team beaten by England in the dying seconds of extra-time in the final on home turf, has a particular regard for Argentina great Juan Martin Hernandez, who he played with at Toulon and who will oppose him in the centres on Sunday.
"He’s a beautiful man. I always told him that when he was at Toulon. He's very skillful, he's tough, defensively strong and adds a lot of stability to that team. I know what it's like to play with him, especially in big games. He is a very, very good player, very confident in what he does and the things he can do a lot of other players can't. I really respect him.
"I think four to five years ago, he was the best player in world and could do anything. Obviously time has moved on, so physically, he is not the same but he presents a huge challenge for me. That won't just be at the beginning of the game but during the whole match," he stated.
Wallaby flank Scott Fardy – the workhorse of the back row while Michael Hooper and David Pocock have stolen the headlines – said he hoped Pocock would be back after recovering from a calf injury.
"They have a great back row as they showed in beating the Springboks in the Rugby Championship this year, and they are going to be a real handful for us," said the 31-year-old, who has been a latecomer to Test matches – having only four years ago plied his trade in the second tier of Japanese rugby.
Giteau believes the tight battle they had with the Scots will serve them well should a similar situation arise on Sunday.
"We showed a lot of character at the end. It's a good experience that will benefit us. We can take a lot from how we regrouped after going behind so late on and how calm and clear-headed we were in driving our way down into their territory," Giteau said.
Agence France-Presse
