FRANCE: RUGBY UNION: Agrentina look ahead to their Rugby World Cup semi-final clash with South Africa
Record ID:
446636
FRANCE: RUGBY UNION: Agrentina look ahead to their Rugby World Cup semi-final clash with South Africa
- Title: FRANCE: RUGBY UNION: Agrentina look ahead to their Rugby World Cup semi-final clash with South Africa
- Date: 11th October 2007
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 10, 2007) (REUTERS) MANUEL CONTEPOMI ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN FILMING WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANUEL CONTEPOMI SAYING: "I think the most important thing for us to do this week is to recover ourselves, physically speaking, and get our heads up and try to be one hundred percent against South Africa." WIDE OF MANUEL CONTEPOMI SPEAKING REPORTERS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANUEL CONTEPOMI SAYING: "We like not being the favourites and so all the pressure is on South Africa, obviously. The main candidates now out of the four are South Africa and France. They are the candidates to win the World Cup and that's good for us. We believe in ourselves and we believe in this team. The first step is on Sunday to win the match against South Africa. We are not thinking 'in case we win, which team are we playing.' We really have a war on Sunday so we have no space in our heads to think about that." REPORTERS LISTENING, PAN TO RIMAS ALVAREZ KAIRELIS ALVAREZ KAIRELIS BEING INTERVIEWED ALVAREZ KAIRELIS WALKING TO PODIUM WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) RIMAS ALVAREZ KAIRELIS SAYING: "I figure we are already very happy. It's the first time Argentina made it into the semi-final. It doesn't mean that's it. We have been training hard for this and now we want to move on and maybe reach the final." ALVAREZ KAIRELIS ON MONITOR ALVAREZ KAIRELIS GETTING UP, SPEAKING ON MOBILE PHONE
- Embargoed: 26th October 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA633BEO6INM63UXYAURYJKZN79
- Story Text: Despite showing the strains of an arduous tournament in their close-run victory over Scotland, Argentina will be up for the biggest game of their lives against South Africa, centre Manuel Contepomi said on Wednesday (October 10).
Argentina led 19-6 with 16 minutes left in their quarter-final at the Stade de France on Sunday and ended up hanging on for a 19-13 win after allowing the Scots back into the game.
Contepomi told reporters that Argentina were back in their preferred role of underdogs against the Springboks after being favourites against Scotland to reach the semi-finals for the first time.
"We like not being the favourites and so all the pressure is on South Africa, obviously," Contepomi told reporters at Argentina's hotel in a Paris suburb.
"I figure we are already very happy. It's the first time Argentina made it into the semi-final. It doesn't mean that's it," he said as the Pumas began their build-up after two days' rest.
Argentina have returned to quiet of Enghien-les-Bains, where they prepared for their victories over France and Ireland, from the bustle of fans and admirers at their Neuilly-sur-Seine hotel last week.
Asked whether Argentina, who have lost all 11 of their test matches against the Springboks, could beat South Africa for the first time, Contepomi said: "We have been training hard for this and now we want to move on and maybe reach the final."
Argentina will not be drawn into thinking any further than the semi-final, a key element of coach Marcelo Loffreda's preparation for each game at the tournament, Contepomi added.
The first step is on Sunday to win the match against South Africa. We are not thinking 'in case we win, which team are we playing.' We really have a war on Sunday so we have no space in our heads to think about that," he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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