Tiesi: Pumas ‘effective’ game-plan upsets Irish

GONZALO TIESI is a rare breed of Puma.

Though he has played 27 times for his country, he has yet to face Ireland which seems almost impossible given the frequency with which this week’s opponents at the Aviva Stadium have crossed paths.

However, he is well versed on the challenge facing the tourists this weekend given his familiarity with Irish players during his current stint at Harlequins — where he faced Leinster in the Bloodgate affair — as well as London Irish.

“I know a lot of the players have been playing at this level for a long time now but they have brought in players like Ferris and Rob Kearney. They are a very ambitious team, they have very good game managers at nine and 10 and they are strong up front.

“If you look at their team, they have lots of strengths that we have to counter but we’re here to build up our game plan.”

That game-plan has frustrated the 2009 Grand Slam champions on many an occasion, most famously in the 1999 and 2007 Rugby World Cups, and the 22-year old centre believes there is no secret to Argentina’s success.

“Maybe our game is not – how would you say — good to look at or entertaining but it is effective. We don’t have the best effect with the ball in hand but we work hard in defence. We try to slow the ball up and maybe we play in a way Ireland aren’t used to in the Six Nations.

“They also play the other southern hemisphere teams more often than we do.

“We normally play New Zealand or Australia once or twice every two or three years. Instead we have built up a way to play against these teams in Europe. We know our strengths and we know our limitations, and we try to play our game. Sometimes, I think, it is hard for them to play against Argentina.

“Other times, it can be hard for Argentina just to play given the competitive limbo and difficulty in securing the services of key players between World Cups for so long.

“That will change for the better when they enter the Tri-Nations in 2012 when the SANZAR sides will surely overtake the likes of Ireland as the teams the Pumas most love to hate.

“Inside the pitch it has been very tough to win the games (against Ireland). It will remain tough and aggressive, within the laws of the game. We have built up a rivalry with Ireland but we have the same against France, maybe because they’re teams we’ve played a lot in the last few years.

“Every time we see each other maybe we are thinking about the last time or what’s going to happen in the future but we are just focused on Sunday.

“We are finishing the tour, we are building up our game and that’s what we need to focus on.”