Argentina's head coach Felipe Contepomi found himself grappling with the aftermath of a heavy defeat, yet couldn't help but admire the stellar performance of South Africa's Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu during their Rugby Championship clash. The Pumas were dismantled 67-30 in Durban, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu scoring a record-breaking 37 points, overshadowing the previous benchmark set by Percy Montgomery. Contepomi, facing a bruised squad and a tactical gamble that didn't pay off, remained a staunch defender of his team's spirit and resilience.
Contepomi, despite the loss, was generous in his praise of Feinberg-Mngomezulu's display. "I am not good at stats, but you can tell he is a brilliant player," he admitted.
"Obviously, when you are the coach on the opposite team, you don’t want him to be playing there, but as a rugby fan, it’s one of those players that light up the sport."
This acknowledgment came amidst a painful review of a game plan that saw Argentina finish with 14 men due to a risky six-two bench split that backfired due to backline injuries.
The decision to deploy more forwards than backs was scrutinized after the match. Contepomi explained, "Those are a bit of the risks you take when you go six-two. We got a bit stuck in the last eight minutes when we had to play with 14 because we had an injury and couldn’t replace him." Despite the setback, he found a silver lining, noting, "It’s part of rugby and that’s the beauty of coaching as well."
Looking ahead, the Argentine skipper Julian Montoya echoed his coach's sentiments about the need for improvement. "We fought but we need to fight more," Montoya stressed, adding, "You need to go to the next level; we know that is the best team in the world in their backyard, and we didn’t deliver in that way." With a rematch looming in London, the Pumas are set to regroup and tackle their challenges head-on, driven by the harsh lessons learned in Durban.
As they prepare for their next encounter, the focus will be on tightening their game plan and harnessing the hard-working spirit that Contepomi proudly highlighted. "Look, I would like to think we can fight harder, but one thing I always notice and I value a lot is the spirit and the hard work of the boys," said the head coach, firmly committed to steering his team through turbulent waters with a blend of critical review and relentless preparation.
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Argentina's head coach Felipe Contepomi found himself grappling with the aftermath of a heavy defeat, yet couldn't help but admire the stellar performance of South Africa's Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu during their Rugby Championship clash. The Pumas were dismantled 67-30 in Durban, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu scoring a record-breaking 37 points, overshadowing the previous benchmark set by Percy Montgomery. Contepomi, facing a bruised squad and a tactical gamble that didn't pay off, remained a staunch defender of his team's spirit and resilience.
Contepomi, despite the loss, was generous in his praise of Feinberg-Mngomezulu's display. "I am not good at stats, but you can tell he is a brilliant player," he admitted.
"Obviously, when you are the coach on the opposite team, you don’t want him to be playing there, but as a rugby fan, it’s one of those players that light up the sport."
This acknowledgment came amidst a painful review of a game plan that saw Argentina finish with 14 men due to a risky six-two bench split that backfired due to backline injuries.The decision to deploy more forwards than backs was scrutinized after the match. Contepomi explained, "Those are a bit of the risks you take when you go six-two. We got a bit stuck in the last eight minutes when we had to play with 14 because we had an injury and couldn’t replace him." Despite the setback, he found a silver lining, noting, "It’s part of rugby and that’s the beauty of coaching as well."
Looking ahead, the Argentine skipper Julian Montoya echoed his coach's sentiments about the need for improvement. "We fought but we need to fight more," Montoya stressed, adding, "You need to go to the next level; we know that is the best team in the world in their backyard, and we didn’t deliver in that way." With a rematch looming in London, the Pumas are set to regroup and tackle their challenges head-on, driven by the harsh lessons learned in Durban.
As they prepare for their next encounter, the focus will be on tightening their game plan and harnessing the hard-working spirit that Contepomi proudly highlighted. "Look, I would like to think we can fight harder, but one thing I always notice and I value a lot is the spirit and the hard work of the boys," said the head coach, firmly committed to steering his team through turbulent waters with a blend of critical review and relentless preparation.