Great expectations

Wales under pressure against Pumas in front of hopeful home crowd

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Posted: Thursday October 14, 1999 07:53 PM

No more sitting around: Captain Lisandro Arbizu and Argentina will face Wales in the first match of the Rugby World Cup. AP

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- With three successive wins against Argentina in 12 months, a dynamic new coach and a new winning formula, Wales goes into Friday's World Cup opener against the Pumas under enormous pressure to win.

The fans expect nothing less and the players, who've produced eight consecutive wins under new mentor Graham Henry, are fully aware of it.

“It's quite frightening really,” said goalkicking flyhalf Neil Jenkins, who is verging on overtaking retired Wallaby Michael Lynagh as the most prolific point scorer in rugby history.

“I don't feel any extra responsibility because I am the goalkicker -- that's part of my job -- but I still get nervous.”

And why wouldn't he?

The Welsh commitment to winning this world cup is glaringly obvious.

The 72,500-capacity Millennium Stadium, specially built to host the last major sporting tournament of the Millennium, takes pride of place in the center of the capital on the ground where Cardiff Arms Park once stood.

It literally dwarfs the other landmarks. And the country is booming not only due to the World Cup but because, after a long and painful slide from world leaders to strugglers, the Welsh national team is again ready to rival the elite.

“Argentina are going to provide tough opposition,” said Jenkins. “They have always been a strong, physical side, but with Alex Wyllie now in charge as coach, I think we can expect a bit more variety from them.”

The 28-year-old pivot said Wales' group games against Argentina, Japan and Samoa were going to be tough, but the Welsh team is confidence and is on a “winning sequence we want to keep going throughout the World Cup.”

Wales finished third behind New Zealand and runners-up France in the inaugural World Cup in 1987 after a one-point playoff win against the other losing semifinalist, Australia.

But the Welsh failed to advance past the preliminary rounds in 1991 and '95, winning just one game in each tournament.

In June last year, Wales slumped to its deepest low in a 96-13 loss to South Africa in Pretoria.

But fighting wins over arch-rivals England and France during the Five Nations plus a 2-0 series win over Argentina in Buenos Aires and a first ever defeat of South Africa -- a 29-19 win at Millennium Stadium, have given the Welsh a new confidence.

Skipper Rob Howley said “some subtle personal changes” under the Henry regime had inspired a winning attitude.

“[Winning] is something the players have got used to -- they expect to perform each time they take the field,” he said. “The pressure for places is considerable, so everyone is determined to play to the best of their ability in every game.”

“We have come a long way during the past year ... Morale is high, our expectation of each other as players is high, and that is a situation which maybe 12 months ago the players, supporters and media perhaps didn't think possible.”

Argentina's buildup to the World Cup has been turbulent.

After losing two coaches -- long-standing coach Jose Luis Imhoff quitting after the series defeat to Wales and his replacement, Hector Mendez, quitting during a subsequent training session -- former All Blacks coach Wyllie was elevated from technical advisor to take charge of the squad.

The Pumas responded with an upset win over Five Nations champions Scotland last month but then lost to Ireland.

“Some of the things that happened were a bit surprising,” Wyllie said of the recent turmoil. “But I can honestly say that the players are fine and have been looking forward to the World Cup. Hopefully their concentration hasn't been affected.”

Despite being a major power on home soil, Argentina has only notched one win -- a 25-16 win over Italy in 1987 -- in its three previous World Cup campaigns, finishing bottom of its group on each occasion.

But with its traditionally strong forward pack bolstered by an exciting halves pairing in Agustin Pichot and Gonzalo Queseda, the Pumas are capable of more in Wales.

“I believe that we are capable of playing some very good rugby, which was something we proved against Scotland last month,” said prop Roberto Grau, who plays for Saracens in the English top flight.

Grau said Wales would be tougher opponents than the that which has beaten the Pumas 23-16, 36-26 and 43-30 in three tests since last November.

“There's no doubt that the Welsh scrum is 100 percent better than it was a year ago,” he said. “It is a very strong unit, one of the world's best, and the challenge for us on Friday is to try and match them.”

 

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