Planet Rugby

Wales win is history - Phelan

17th November 2012 12:12

santiago phelan ARG coach 2011

Santiago Phelan: Focussed on France

Argentina are focussed solely on Saturday's Test against France in Lille and have put their most recent 26-12 victory over Wales behind them.

That is the word from their coach Santiago Phelan who said his side would need to have their wits about them up against one of the best teams in the world.

"We gained in confidence from the Wales win but now we have analysed this performance it is finished with," he said.

"We have forgotten Wales. We watched France play Australia (the French won 33-6).

"We know that we are about to confront one of the best teams in the world.

"The fact we have been together for three months has given us the best possible conditions to play them.

"When you have most of the players in the squad having been involved in the matches, that only serves to improve the spirit and the pride to wear the shirt."

Phelan, whose side drew a two-match home Test series with a largely inexperienced French side in the summer, revealed there were areas where his side needed to sharpen up on for the clash with France.

"In fact there are a lot of things we need to improve," he said.

"Firstly we must continue to do what we did well against Wales.

"We know it will be a very competitive match. We must win a lot of possession. The difficulty for both Argentina and for France will be to win the ball and not turn it over."

Whilst Phelan is only too aware of the Pumas' excellent record against France - they have won eight of their last 12 meetings - he knows that les Bleus at home and after their crushing win over the Wallabies makes his side's task a tough one.

"We have often beaten the French but in June, in the second Test, France were clearly superior to us (they won 49-10)," explained Phelan, whose side round off their European tour with a Test against Ireland on November 24.

"We also know what it means to be playing them in France, a country passionate about its rugby.

"We are preparing for the Test with that in mind, regardless of what happened before."

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