Wallabies brace for hostile Argentina reception
SPOTLIGHT: The Wallabies are bracing for a volatile experience - on and off the field - when they tackle Argentina in their Rugby Championship showdown in Buenos Aires this weekend.
Gone are the bad old days when Los Pumas home fans would spit at the Australian players when they ran on and off the field, or point lasers at the Wallabies' goal-kickers as they lined up penalties.
But the Wallabies are still expecting a hostile environment and went to a domestic soccer match at the famous River Plate Stadium this week to get a taste of what the fans may bring on Saturday.
Wallabies scrumhalf Tate McDermott said it was a far different experience to watching the round-ball code back at home.
"I've only ever played maybe two or three games for the Reds in Buenos Aires, so the atmosphere, it's going to be different," he said from Argentina.
"We went to a football match the other night, and football matches back home are pretty different to football matches over here.
"To see the passion in the crowd, the chants, people jumping up and down, all that kind of stuff."
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The tourists had a mixed bag on their last visit to Argentina in 2022, splitting their results. They were also beaten 34-31 in Sydney last year, before the Pumas went on to make the World Cup semifinals in France.
Lock Nick Frost said he would try to use the energy from the crowd at Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi in La Planta, even if they were cheering against Australia.
"Even though they are cheering for the other team, it pumps you up, too - it's an atmosphere that you kind of ride off," said Frost, who will return from concussion for the match.
"It's always fun playing the Argentinians as they bring a lot of passion.
"It's a fast game when you play against them, fast and physical, and they like to run the ball around, they like to kick, like to show off a bit of flair.
"They're a very emotional side, we find, so they ride the crowd pretty well, which we found out the hard way a couple of years ago in San Juan.
"They had a big, vocal crowd and did a good number on us."
Frost said that emotional element made it tough to predict the mindset of the Pumas heading into a match.
While the Wallabies are winless in their opening two Rugby Championship Tests, suffering home defeats to South Africa, the Pumas shocked the All Blacks 38-30 in their first Test in New Zealand, before falling 42-10 last round in Auckland.
"You don't know what Argentinian team you're going to get, so you've got to be at your best," the 24-year-old Brumbies star said.
"Against New Zealand, one week they're on the most points they've ever scored or anyone's ever scored in New Zealand, and then the next week New Zealand fight back."
Coach Joe Schmidt will name his Wallabies line-up on Friday.