Zuca Conti: ESPN Argentina Commentator ahead of the second clash between the All Blacks and Argentina

After their defeat to the All Blacks last week, Los Pumas are hoping for an improved performance in Buenos Aires. 

The Argentinian team has never beaten the All Blacks on home shores, with the New Zealand side winning 14 tests and drawing on one. 

ESPN Argentina Commentator Zuca Conti joined Piney to discuss whether Los Pumas can flip the form guide and pull off an elusive home win. 

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Episode Transcript

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

Speaker 2 (00:12):
But Argentina and the All Blacks meet tomorrow morning and
their second Rugby Championship Test of twenty twenty five.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
The All Blacks go back to number one in the
world for the first time.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Since November twenty twenty one. Forty one twenty four six
tries to three, a pretty comprehensive win, well eventually anyway
from the All Blacks nine o'clock tomorrow morning, catch the
call with Elliot Smith and Ant Strawn. Let's bring in
Argentinian rugby journalist Zuko Zuka Conti from ESPN. Zuka great

(00:45):
to get the chance to chat. The Pumas got back
to within seven points of the All Blacks last week.
Did your CeNSE they might be about to claim their
first win? That a lusive first win over the All
Blacks on Argentinian soil?

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Him, ed, how are you hopefully for us, hopefully for
us that when it's coming. It was like yesterday that
were in Paramatta, then christ sarch Wellington, but all the
Argentinian rugby fans are waiting for our first home soil victory.

(01:20):
I think it's going to be very tough because I
think that the Oil Blacks always from one week to
the other improve a loge. Sometimes in the same match
they improve a loge, and of course we are willing
that Argentina is going to improve to make some I

(01:42):
think that growns as a team in some specific points
that are are going to be vital tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
What are those specific areas? So where do the mind
improvements need to come? Where would you like to see
the improvements come from Argentina.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
From Argentina, I think that it's very important the mindset
because specifically in the first half, because last year Rugby Championship,
the three victories came after a comeback because of the
of going I don't know, but fourteen twenty one points down.

(02:24):
Last week in Cordova, it was another match where Argentina
started losing and then the team shows that encouraged to
go back and go straight into the game. But of
course the mindset to be in the game since the

(02:47):
kickoff till the end. And then of course the defense
of the line and the mall because last week three
tries came came because of the of the line of
mall of the All Blacks. Of course I want to
be to watch an improvement there.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Just the two changes to the Argentina side. Did you
expect more changes or did that feel about right?

Speaker 1 (03:17):
No?

Speaker 3 (03:17):
I think that it's it's right. Probably I would like
to see Gido Petty as a starter. I get surprised
to Giddo being the bench again, but hung on salez
it's now. I think that it's one of the best
players in the team. I get surprised last week when

(03:40):
he was benched and now as a starter. I think
that in the line out, for example, it's going to
be so important not to win our own balls, of course,
to try to steal some All Black balls. And then,
of course I think that the change of of the

(04:03):
of Matteo Carreras, I think that it is good, it's
going to maintain in the team, but the coach choose
to deligate as a starter and Matteo Carreda's true. So
I think that that is going to be a point
where the All Blacks are going to attack because it's
grow in all the kicking game, it's so important in

(04:27):
the air battle and without its grow, I think that
the All Blacks are going to use a lot the
the kicking game. The kicking, strategy, strategy, where are building buried?
For example, I think it's it's a master a mastermind.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
What did you think of the All Blacks performance last week?

Speaker 3 (04:48):
It was not fantastic. It was in Argentina we call
it like pragmatic. It was like a victory world. The
All Blacks show you the class that the team has
in the in terms of consistency, in terms of being
a solid team in the moments that the game need

(05:11):
a solid mind in the final minutes of the in
the start, in the final minutes of the first half,
in the final minutes of the of the game. I
don't know, but probably when you have an advantage of
twenty twenty five points, your mind relaxed a little bit.
So Argentina come back. But when Argentina put near seven points,

(05:33):
the Oil Blacks the push the celebrator again and they
go back again with his game. They don't choose to
go to the polls. They go to the line out
because they watch and I think that in a good
decision that there is a point to exploit. So, I

(05:54):
don't know, we always hear in Argentina admire the Oil
Blacks game. We probably will learn a lot about playing
against the oil Blacks. And for example, today I make
an interview with Pablo Mattea that you know a lot
because Pablo plays there in christ and one season with
the Crusaders, and Pablo told me that in the last

(06:19):
game he learned more about rugby and the oil blocks
that in the other eighteen that they play against the
oil blocks. And because of that, I'm willing that tomorrow
the Argentina team is it's going to prove a lot.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
Wow, that is great insight from Pablo Materea. So Parametta,
christ Church, Wellington? Are we going to add Buena series?
Is it finally going to happen? Zuka?

Speaker 3 (06:48):
Hopefully? I don't know. It's always a dream. I remember
being in Paramatta going in the car to the stadium
and some friends write me via what's up? How is
the team? And with Argentina, with the Pumas, we never
have a clear view about how is the team. The
team probably when the game starts with we take there

(07:13):
the real sensation about how is the team. I think
that if Argentina it's good in the contact, I think
that the all tomorrow, for example, they are going to
start playing straight, going body to body to body. So
if Argentina. It's physical physically, they are in the in

(07:33):
the battle. Probably we are going to be near in
the match. And then it's some deitiles being good in
the with the kicking, with the points. I remember the
game in scritered a million of Aiu with his right foot
in Paramatta, Nico Santez. We need an inspirational game of

(07:56):
the kicker, good, good performance of the important players and
always a little bit of good luck.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Wonderful to talk with you again, Zuka, thank you for
joining us. Enjoy the game.

Speaker 3 (08:13):
Thank you very much, and you enjoyed the game too.
It's always a pleasure and a plever lessure for us
playing against the old blocks.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
No wonderful stuff, Souca, thanks so much. Indeed, Zuoka conti
they're out of ESPN and Argentina ed of tomorrow's second
Rugby Championship teastful commentary here on news Talks EDB build
up from around ten to nine. Kick off at ten
past nine with Elliott Smith and and Strawn.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
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