Five Pumas hampered by injuries

Press, 28 July 1989, Page 48

Five Pumas hampered by injuries

PA Wellington Injury concerns have forced the Argentine rugby coach, Rodolfo O’Reilly, to postpone until today the naming of his team for tomorrow’s second test in Wellington.

O’Reilly had hoped to name it yesterday to allow the starting lineup at least two full runs together. But a far from encouraging report from the physiotherapist who has been working on the injuries still hampering five players has forced the delay. The team manager, Horacio Vidou, said the team would be named after a further review of the injuries today. He said it had been more or less framed. "No player will play unless he is 100 per cent fit,” Mr Vidou said. “We do not want to bracket players in any positions.” The injuries of most concern are those to the captain and centre, Marcelo Loffreda, the vicecaptain and No. 8, Gustavo Milano, and the flanker, Pablo Di Nisio. Loffreda came off three-quarters of the way through Tuesday’s match against Waikato. He had taken a painful knock to a thigh, which has blackened with bruising. Mr Vidou said the physiotherapist had expressed doubts that Ldffreda would be fit to play at Athletic Park. Milano came on as a replacement for Joaquin Uriarte, who damaged ligaments when twisting an ankle, early in the second half of the Waikato match. Before he had time even to warm up he was sprawled on the ground, clutching a knee. Both he and Uriarte trained lightly yesterday. Di Nisio, who has a strained hamstring in his left thigh, arrived late with Loffreda after a session with the physiotherapist. They took no part in team training, concentrating on stretching exercises. The other injured player, Marcos Baeck, was also allowed to take it easy. Milano, Di Nisio and Loffreda played in the first test, and if fully fit would seem to have been definite starters for the second test. The backline that Mr O’Reilly worked yesterday could well be that which takes the field tomorrow. It featured Rafael Madero

at first five-eighths, Fabian Turnes at secondfive, Diego Cuesta Silva at centre, Cristian Mendy and Marcelo Righentini on the wings, and Sebastian Salvat at fullback. Daniel Baetti and Fabio Gomez, both in the running for the halfback spot, took turns setting off movements. Meanwhile, the assistant coach, Raul Sanz, the mentor of the forwards, appeared to be experimenting ' with front row and locking combinations. The All Black coach, Alex Wyllie, said the All Blacks could not afford to approach the Pumas second time around with an over-confident attitude. “We can’t be too cocksure about winning this test,” Mr Wyllie said as he disbanded his team after a light training session on Wednesday. “We just have to make sure we do. "And more so now we have beaten them so well already. Whatever we do, we have to make sure it’s done the right way.” Mr Wyllie said there were areas for improvement in the All Black game, despite the ease of their first test win over the Pumas. He said there was some “loose” play at Carisbrook that had to be eliminated before the Eden Park showdown with the Wallabies. “They’d been told to get out there and go in the first test, but there were times when it got a little out of hand,” Mr Wyllie said. “They did things they wouldn’t do if the situation was a little tighter, say for instance against the Wallabies. They tried to move it in some situations when it just wasn’t

on. “This Saturday we have to build on the foundations laid in Dunedin. We got quick ball, and used it quickly — moving it wide. We’ve got to do the same this Saturday, but better. "And that does not mean getting out there with it in our heads that we must score more points than we did in Dunedin. “We’re not setting ourselves any sort of target that way.” There was a casual air at the All Blacks’ training run in front of a throng of onlookers. It was not until the pack, the featuring reserve forwards, Ron Williams (prop), Warren Gatland (hooker) and Zinzan Brooke (flanker), got down to scrummaging that the sweat really began to pour. The backline, running at less than full pace, was also a mix of test incumbents and reserves. Mr Wyllie said that did not mean there would be changes to the All Black starting lineup, for the first time in seven tests. The star flanker, Michael Jones, threw an injury scare into the All Blacks’ previously peaceful second test camp yesterday morning. Jones left training after being sprigged on the outside of his troublesome left ankle when the All Blacks were warming up with a game of touch rugby at St Pat’s College in Silverstream. The team physiotherapist, Dave Abercrombie, had the ankle quickly in ice, and said Jones should be able to run on it again today. Wyllie said he was confident Jones would be able to take the field for the test.