The Argentinian Rugby Team Never Went Home
If I was a sports betting person I would like additional information like how a team is preparing for a certain match as travel information reveals so much.
On Tuesday evening whilst at Johannesburg airport I spotted the Argentinian rugby team arriving in transit having travelled from Australia on route to Durban which was a short 1 hour flight away. I thought they may have gone home first and then flown out this coming week as their next game is on Saturday. This is what most teams would have done unless you were playing against Australia and New Zealand which are close by. South Africa is half way home for them and is only an 11 hour flight. This tells me they are taking no chances and are preparing properly leaving nothing to chance and it definitely made me take notice and take their intentions seriously.
For most people they would have moved through the terminal unnoticed, but I recognised the players before I saw the piles of luggage. I never took photos as that in my opinion would just be rude especially when you have already been travelling for 20 hours. The touring Argentinian squad will comprise a minimum of 35 players and then another 7 or 8 back room staff so you can imagine the number of suitcases. The training kit, match day kit and training equipment plus medical supplies for 5 weeks on the road is hard to miss.
Just a quick calculation tells you this team has been on the road for nearly 4 weeks now and that makes the team even more dangerous due to the strong bonds they have by staying together. Teams that come together for a few days before a match tend to take time to settle in so a team having only played 2 games winning one and losing one over a 3 week period would be very much in sync with each other. In their last 3 games they have beaten the All Blacks at home and Australia away and only lost to Australia by 3 points in the game they lost. When you look at the stats they are a team in form and are definitely a different prospect from what would have been expected a few seasons ago.
Most South African rugby supporters will think beating the All Blacks convincingly would be their toughest match this year yet I think the next two against Argentina are going to be even tougher. The South African rugby team is only coming together this Thursday having taken a 10 day break. This in my mind could be a big mistake as the Argentinians have been fine tuning in the mean time. This could also go against the Argentinians as over training can do quite the opposite mentally exhausting the players before the game has even started.
I have personally experienced training every day including Sundays and as a team we found it counter productive as it just drains you mentally and physically. I am sure the Argentinians know what they are doing and why they wasted no time in reaching Durban as quickly as possible. Most team sports are driven by medical science and data so one can expect the team will be at it's sharpest on match day.
I am happy to see the referee for this crucial match is none other than New Zealander Ben O'Keeffe who will allow both packs of forwards tussle it out. This is important as both sets of forwards are massive and where the teams strength lies. I would normally back the home side on a comfortable win, but now knowing the team is here and has been here for nearly 2 weeks before the game I think this is too close to call. This could be 5 points either way and makes for a great match because no one likes a one sided affair. Weather conditions could play their part and then if it rains I would back the SA team to win comfortably.
Posted Using INLEO