The All Blacks have been tested by Argentina’s powerful scrum in the past and face a “huge challenge” to contain their forwards in Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash, says prop Owen Franks.
The defending champions will bid for their 15th straight win in the tournament against Mario Ledesma’s Argentina, who have arrived in New Zealand full of confidence after an impressive 32-19 win over South Africa in Mendoza two weeks ago.
The Pumas have long taken pride in the strength of their setpiece, and Franks was impressed by the South Americans’ dominance against the Springboks.
Franks says: “They take real pride in their setpiece.
“You saw against South Africa, they kept the ball in their scrum and they had ascendancy.
“The thing about the Pumas is you can never underestimate them.
“Back in 2012 or the year before their scrum went to another level and I probably didn’t give them the respect they deserved and I paid for it. It’s a big challenge.”