VIDEO: Contepomi: 'Libbok not a weak point'
VIDEO: Los Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi has come out in support of Manie Libbok, saying he has followed the Springbok flyhalf’s career for a long time.
Contempomi, who faced reporters in White River where Argentina has been preparing since Monday, was asked about the negativity around Libbok after missing a vital kick in the previous Rugby Championship match between the Boks and Los Pumas in Santiago.
Contepomi announced his side to face the Springboks in Mbombela and made seven changes to his starting XV that beat Rassie Erasmus’ side 29-28 in Santiago del Estero last weekend.
But instead was asked if he thought the Springboks had problems at flyhalf due to the selection of Libbok.
“I don’t think Manie Libbok is a weak point in the South African team,” Contepomi said forthrightly.
“It is the other way around, I think he is a brilliant player and I have been following him throughout his career
“I have always rated him really high as a player.
“It’s part of what they want to do. South Africa has a very powerful pack, but they want to play a bit wider and Tony Brown’s hands are there and you can see that Libbok fits perfectly into what they want to do,” the Los Pumas coach explained.
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The Los Pumas coach said in the absence of the injured Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Libbok was the ideal backup for the Springboks.
“With Feinberg-Mngomezulu injured, he [Libbok] is a good backup and they know what they want to do.
“He is a strong player with a lot of character. I don’t see that as a weak point.
“I see South Africa as a very strong team with not many weak links and no weak points in their whole structure so we need to be very smart and play at our top if we want to impose our game plan,” the coach concluded.
