Hugo Porta: Former Los Pumas player ahead of the Rugby Championship opener between Argentina and the All Blacks

Delivering away from home under pressure is the focus for the All Blacks, as they face their first road assignment of 2025. 

On the other hand, the Argentinian team is eager to claim victory over the boys in black at home. 

Hugo Porta was one of the great Argentinian players, having kicked 21 points in a 21-all draw against the New Zealand side in 1985 – the Los Pumas’ best result at the time. 

He joined Piney to reflect on his time playing and delve into what he hopes to see from Argentina tomorrow morning. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Ahead of the first of two Test matches between Argentina
and the All Blacks in Argentina. An honor to get
the chance to bring an Argentinian rugby legend Ugo Porter.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Dylan play Porter.

Speaker 4 (00:26):
On for the drop kick and an amazing drop goal
by Porter, Absolutely amazing. He could not have seen the
goal before he took that shot. Who Porter, He's been
well looked up in the field. Play for two drop goals,
playing a big part in those.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
Teams for you.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
What a player he was for Argentina. He joins us
on the show now or la Ugo, thanks for joining us.
How confident do you feel ahead of the first Test
against the All Blacks in Cordoba.

Speaker 5 (00:59):
Oh hello, hello to everybody there in New zeal And.
My old friends there in New Zealand, always missing your
country and looking.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
Forward to go back there.

Speaker 5 (01:11):
But we are very happy to welcome the All Blacks
in in Argentina. You know, we are always optimistic when
the when the Pumas.

Speaker 6 (01:23):
Are playing, though we know how powerful the Old Blacks are,
but we all wait in the match with a lot
of expectations and uh, we'll see what happened.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
For a long time. Of course, the Poemers couldn't beat
the All Blacks, but that one three of the last teen.
Is there more belief now that they can match up
with the All Blacks.

Speaker 5 (01:49):
Well, you know when when you bid them once you
think you can beat them more times. But anyway, we
have to be realistic and we know about how powerful
the Old Blacks are. So when you've got a tea
playing with a puma jersey, anything can happen, especially when

(02:11):
they are playing here in Argentina. They are playing in Cordova,
which is going to be a very special occasion for
the people here in the province. So we are all optimistic.
I think the main thing will be to have a
good match and a good performance by by both teams.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
The Poements beat the British and Irish Lions in June
and then had two losses to England in July. What
did you make a go of their performances and those matches.

Speaker 5 (02:46):
It's always good to have a win like the one
we have against the Lions, but it's very difficult to
have to performance in the to have a performance the
same way, then when you have a big win. But anyway,
you know, this is a completely different game from the
one I play. It's all it's a professional game. They

(03:09):
are all the time thinking in the game and making
analysis on the games of how they must play, and
I'm sure they will try their best in this occasion.
But anyway, the All Blacks are making a big impact
here in Argentina, especially in Buenos Aires.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
The people are very keen of having them here.

Speaker 5 (03:31):
They've been to a soccer game the last weekend and
I think.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
They are very well.

Speaker 5 (03:39):
Welcome in Argentina and we give them a warm welcome.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
So we will see. It's going to be a very
interesting game to see.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Were the All Blacks one of your favorite opponents to
play against, Ugo, You.

Speaker 5 (03:57):
Know, it's always good to play against When you are
young and you are playing for your country, you always
want to play against the best, and we were always
looking forward to face the Old Blacks in New Zealand
or in Argentina, So I think that feeling never changed

(04:19):
for a Puma. So was very special to play against
a team that has been world champions, and you know
how powerful and popular the Old Blacks are around the
rugby world.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Now that famous taste in nineteen eighty five when you
kicked all twenty one points in the twenty one Old Draw.
What do you remember most about that game?

Speaker 5 (04:49):
I remember that we finished very close to the goal
of the Old Blacks, and we were very close to
bid them. But anyway, for me, it was an unbelievable
experience that I will never forget.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Who were some of the players in the all black
jersey Who it was most memorable for you to play against?

Speaker 3 (05:13):
Well, there were many, many good.

Speaker 5 (05:17):
And great players, and I have the opportunity to play
with them and to play against them.

Speaker 3 (05:26):
I wouldn't say one.

Speaker 5 (05:28):
David Pirk was one, Dave Loveridge was another one, and
there were many. I mean, if I give you a name,
I will not be really How can I tell? I
will not be really fair? So so I think.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
It was a pleasure to play against and with them.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
Anyway, What sort of style Argentina playing right now? And
do you like the style of rugby dire playing?

Speaker 5 (06:01):
I think I don't know a lot about the rugby
they play today because there's been a lot of analysis,
a lot of information that we don't have when we
used to play rugby. And I think that's in the
culture of every country. I mean, we will never play
like the All Blacks because we are a different culture.

(06:22):
We are Latins. We will probably try to play more
like the French. But anyway, the rugby that I like
is to keep the ball alive and to run the ball,
and to play a fifteen man rugby, an open rugby.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Now, yes, and I remember you playing that way you
go and everybody just loved watching it. Do you think
these days there's perhaps a bit too much structure, a
bit too much analysis and the game of rugby.

Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well probably yes.

Speaker 5 (06:54):
I've never played professional game, so that makes me completely
free of taking my decisions inside the field when I
was playing. I think today the game is so professional,
and you got the coach that is professional. Everybody is
waiting for you to do what the coach is telling

(07:15):
you to do. But anyway, I think that the players
that are making the difference are the players that got
their own mind, their own way of thinking, and their
own way of executing things. So I disagree completely. For example,
my friends were very keen when when the spring Books

(07:36):
were playing and the coach was with one flag of
one color another flag of another color to tell the
players what they have to do. I think you must
not be a robot. You are a human being and
you have to have your own way of thinking and
making your own decisions.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Now and they just finally. What would it mean for
the Argentinian rugby team and rugby fans and Argentina for
the to beat the All Blacks for the first time
on home soil.

Speaker 3 (08:13):
It would be amaze, you know what I mean.

Speaker 5 (08:15):
I always said that I was going to be alive
to see the Pumas beating the Old Blacks, and I
was lucky enough to be alive. If I I probably
could be very keen and happy to see them beating
the Old Blacks in Argentina. It would be great for

(08:35):
our people, it would be great for the country and
for our rugby.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
I'm sure you'll be around for many more years yet, Ugo,
who knows it might even happen this weekend. Thank you
so much for joining us. It's been a great pleasure
to talk with you.

Speaker 5 (08:48):
Thanks very much for remembering me, and send my love
to all the people that I've been through in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (08:57):
What a champion of a man Ugo Porta joining us
out of Argentina ahead of the first test tomorrow morning
between his nation and our nation and the rug BE Championship.
That game in nineteen eighty five, the second of November
nineteen eighty five. I vividly remember watching that game. This
would have been around about the same time. I guess,

(09:17):
as we're going to watch these games tomorrow sort of nine.
I remember it being sort of a like a nine
o'clock kind of thing. And Hugo Porta kicked four penalties
and three drop goals twenty one all against the All Blacks.
The closest, as I said before, they've ever come to
beating the All Blacks in Argentina. They've done it three
times now away from Argentina. Once was on neutral territory

(09:40):
in Australia and COVID times, and then in christ Church
in twenty twenty two, and then last year in Wellington.
Listen to this team though, this team of All Blacks
who played against Argentina in nineteen eighty five. Front row
Brian mcgratten, Hicker Reid and Steve McDowell locking the scrum,

(10:02):
Andy Hayden and Gary Wetton. The loose trio, Mark Shaw,
Jock Hobbs and Murray mextead Dave Loveridge was half back
and Hugo Porta mentioned him there, Wayne Smith at first five,
Warreck Taylor and Victor Simpson in midfield, Craig Green on
the left wing, John Kerwin on the right and Karen
Crowley the fallback man. There's some names in there, some

(10:25):
names in there, So what are you predicting of it
tomorrow morning. I feel like we'll win the game, But
then I think the All Blacks will win every single
game they play. You'd want an improvement, wouldn't you on
what happened against France in terms of the totality of
those three matches. The All Blacks themselves admitted they were
short in a bunch of areas, But then you look

(10:46):
at the team that they've named and there's clear intent here.
The team that they've named for this match tomorrow morning
the strongest they could have named with the players available.
The only two I think who would be there if
they were fit are Wallace a Titi and to Mighty Williams.
Otherwise it's probably the strongest team. It's probably the team
that that you know and again that we play as

(11:08):
coming back in the likexicam Roy Garden. Perhaps others but
the bulk of this team that plays tomorrow morning will
probably play against South Africa at Eton Park on the
sixth of September.

Speaker 1 (11:20):
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