All Blacks v Argentina: Scott Robertson hails Los Pumas’ ‘fantastic’ former Crusaders star
Argentina loose forward Pablo Matera and All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson.
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has singled Argentina back-row Pablo Matera out for special praise ahead of the teams’ Rugby Championship rematch at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
Matera captained Los Pumas during the corresponding fixture in Wellington last week and caught the eye with an outstanding all-round performance as he led by example on defence and attack.
Former Crusaders star
The 31-year-old back-row is no stranger to the All Blacks mentor as the duo worked together in 2022 when Matera spent a season with the Crusaders – while Robertson was their coach – and played a leading role as the Christchurch-based outfit won the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific title.
And although Matera will not be captaining his country this weekend – after first choice skipper Julian Montoya returned to action after recovering from injury – Robertson expects the brilliant back-row to play a leading role for his country again this weekend.
“Pablo was massive, wasn’t he? You’ve got to give him a little golf clap on that. He was superb,” said Robertson. “He was fantastic. Captaincy. Look, he’s just so passionate.
“In that game, he lived every moment. We learned a lot from him and how he performed. He’s an international quality level player.”
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Expecting something different from Los Pumas
Los Pumas stunned the All Blacks as they claimed a 38-30 victory last week and despite that result, Robertson remains wary of his opponents and expects them to come with a different approach in Auckland.
“They’re quite innovative. Felipe (Contepomi) is a smart coach. I’m not sure they’ll roll out what they did last week,” he added.
“They’ll be a step ahead on that stuff, so we’ve considered that as well.”
Robertson highlighted the importance of the forward battle in the grander scheme of things and expects an improved effort from his pack after they came off second best to their counterparts in Wellington.
“I think every All Black forward pack, after a result like that, it’s a chance for a bit of redemption. And, you know, they’ve owned it,” he said.
