Schmidt: 'I hope he's not sleeping well'
SPOTLIGHT: Felipe Contepomi studied to become a doctor while playing rugby in Ireland, but admits the thought of coaching against his old mate Joe Schmidt is a daunting task.
A friendship forged from their days in Ireland will be put on hold when the Wallabies host Argentina in Townsville on Saturday.
Both sides arrive with momentum, Australia fresh off a 1-1 tour of South Africa, while Los Pumas beat the All Blacks at home for the first time a fortnight ago.
Ranking points also come into play, with the sides effectively battling for the No.6 spot ahead of December’s 2027 World Cup draw.
Contepomi, an 87-Test Pumas star who studied at the Royal College of Surgeons while playing flyhalf for Leinster, says all bets are off.
“I like watching his teams. I don’t like playing against his teams,” he said on Thursday.
“He’s a brilliant coach. I have loads of time for him. A guy I keep in contact with.
“Sometimes when you hear he’s leaving [as Wallabies coach next year] you think, ‘You need to stay around for the good of the game’.
“He’s so detailed. He’ll have a trick or two, or three, under his sleeve.”
Schmidt laughed when told of his opposite’s remarks.
“That makes me a little bit afraid of what he’s got cooked up, and I hope he’s not sleeping well about what we might have in our armoury,” he said.
“I rate Felipe really highly as a coach, and he’s a good bloke.
“Those two things mean I hope the best for him when he plays other teams. Not against us on Saturday, that’s for sure.”
