SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Pumas coach Mario Ledesma showed no signs of regret for the tears he and his team shed after their maiden victory over the All Blacks last weekend. He added that emotion was an integral part of the foundation of the Argentina team.
The Pumas stunned the rugby world with their 25-15 victory over New Zealand in their first test for more than a year last week in Sydney and there was a huge outpouring of emotion on the pitch afterwards.
On the other hand, the tears shed by Dustin Johnson after winning golf’s Masters and Lewis Hamilton after securing the Formula One world title at the weekend prompted one veteran commentator in New Zealand to say that modern sportsmen must “harden up”.
Ledesma said on Thursday after naming his team for Saturday’s Tri-Nations test against Australia in Newcastle, “Emotions are sometimes difficult to control, especially after everything we have been through.”
“I’m sorry if in any way he was angry about it, but I think emotions are a good thing – he should try it.”
Ledesma, a former hooker who proved his physical toughness in 84 tests for the Pumas, said his players had been through “hell” in the months leading to the All Blacks match, after last weekend’s competition.
They made sure to give their best during the lockdown, who were then forced to halt a training camp in Argentina after a string of COVID-19 cases before following two weeks of quarantine on their arrival in Australia.
While that contributed to the way the Pumas celebrated their victory last week, Ledesma said emotion was also part of what made Argentinian rugby different.
“I think we are like we are and we don’t want to change, I think emotions and passions are a very good thing,” he added.
“I thought there was a lot of control and discipline too in the way we played, and that’s the way we should be playing.”