Los Pumas to address 'scrum frailties'
After the Springboks' impressive 37-15 win in Port Elizabeth at the weekend, Los Pumas coach Daniel Hourcade admitted that the Boks were "superior" in most aspects of the game.
However, it was the poor scrummaging of his team that concerned him most.
The return match is at the Padre Ernesto Martearena Stadium in Salta this coming Saturday and Hourcade promised the Boks will not be let off the hook so easily.
"We attacked very little and defended a lot – which at times we did very well," the Los Pumas coach said of the encounter in PE.
"However, the scrum was the weakest [aspect of our game]," he said – adding that conceding five penalties at scrum time is a "serious" problem.
"We urgently need to improve the scrum.
"We can not afford to have five penalties and a free kick against us again.
"From these penalties the Boks got points or drove us back into our territory.
"If we don't concede those penalties, it will be a different game."
He also said Argentina need better ball control, as the 21 turnovers they conceded in PE also proved costly.
"You can not defend the entire game against a team like South Africa, as they put you under pressure – like they did in Port Elizabeth.
"They were superior on the day, they simply outplayed us."
@rugby365com
