Why Joe Schmidt is ‘afraid’ of Felipe Contepomi and ‘still stings’ over Wallabies’ last clash with Argentina
Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt with his Argentina rival Felipe Contepomi
Joe Schmidt has reflected on last year’s record defeat for the Wallabies in Argentina and explained why he fears coming up against rival coach Felipe Contepomi this Saturday.
Australia have brought the Pumas to Townsville for this weekend’s Rugby Championship encounter, the first time the countries will play each other since the 2024 match won 67-27 by Argentina in Santa Fe.
That humiliation sparked calls for Schmidt to resign but the Kiwi has managed to stabilise the Wallabies since then, using a win over England at Twickenham last November as the springboard for a competitive finish to the series against the British and Irish Lions and an encouraging start to Rugby Championship 2025.
Australia go into their Round Three match having savoured a famous comeback win over the Springboks in Johannesburg, followed by an unlucky defeat in the Cape Town rematch.
“You never want to be beaten like that…”
Next, they have a chance to atone for last year’s pitiful collapse away to the Pumas, a wound that hasn’t fully healed. “It hurts, it still stings,” said Schmidt at his Thursday media briefing in Townsville. “You never want to be beaten like that, particularly the last 20 minutes, which was really where it got right away from us.
“In Santa Fe after 30-odd minutes, we led 20-3 before falling off a cliff, but there were a number of things we righted along the way (in the last year). It’s not a sudden solution that we needed to find, and I’m pretty sure the players are conscious of what they need to deliver now.
“It’s hard to connect something from a year ago with where we are currently now, but certainly there have been a few connections and part of that connection is the quality of the Pumas side. We saw that two weeks ago against the All Blacks.
“But there has been a pretty consistent theme over recent years, and so they have got one of the stronger back-rows in world rugby and (Julian) Montoya plays like a back-rower, so you have kind of got four back-rowers coming at you.
“Very talented midfielders. They play at Toulouse and at Saracens, so they play at a very high level all the time, and a back three that threatens as well. No doubt they are missing (Tomas) Albornoz, but they have Santiago Carreras to step straight in there, so their strength in depth is building and their consistency of performance.
“Even in the first Test against the All Blacks (which they lost 24-41), I felt they were not far away. We’re expecting it to be super tough, and that’s the nature of TRC this year. Everyone has got a win, and everyone has got a loss, and we’re trying to build another win if we can.”
Schmidt is going up against Contepomi, someone he first encountered when he was coaching for Clermont against a Toulon team that the Argentinian was playing for. That connection was further fostered when Schmidt was coaching Ireland at the same time Contepomi was assisting Leinster.
It is this familiarity that has the New Zealander fearful about what Contepomi could now bring as Pumas head coach. “I know Felipe well. We’d be pretty friendly, and it was a bit like Andy Farrell and the Lions series. It is always tough to come up against those guys and be coaching. They know you well, and you know them well.
“I rate Felipe really highly as a coach, and he is a great bloke. Those two things mean that I hope the best for him when he plays other teams. Not against us on Saturday, that’s for sure.
“He’s doing a great job with that team, and we are going to have to be flat out to beat them. I will catch up with Felipe before kick-off and talk about anything except rugby, which is always nice to do.
“I would have coached against Felipe when he was at Toulon and I was at Clermont, so we go back a long way. I was coaching Mario Ledesma; he’s very close with him and Gonzalo Quesada as well, so there is a real Argentinian link.
“When Felipe was at Leinster, we would catch up and have coffee or maybe something else, you know it [Ireland] is famous for its Guinness. With that relationship, it’s nice to see people again.
“But that respect I have for him as a coach and even as a player, that makes me a little bit afraid of what he has got cooked up, and I hope he is not sleeping well about what we might have in our armoury to be ready for them.
“I have also got to know some of their players pretty well, not personally as much, just seeing them play over a number of years, and would have a massive amount of respect for them as well.”
