Rugby World Cup: Wallabies clash against Uruguay will be dog fight, warns Australia scrum coach

WHEN it comes to playing against Uruguay​​, the advice of scrum guru Mario Ledesma to the Wallabies will be very much “do as I say, not what you see on YouTube”.

CARDIFF, WALES - SEPTEMBER 20: Francisco Bulanti of Uruguay (2R) shows his emotions during the national anthem during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool A match between Wales and Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium on September 20, 2015 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

WHEN it comes to playing against Uruguay​ on Sunday​, the advice of scrum guru Mario Ledesma to the Wallabies will be very much “do as I say, not what you see on YouTube”.

As a young player in his native Argentina, Ledesma frequently played against fierce rivals Uruguay and the ferocity on-field between the South American neighbours would keep a judiciary today busy for months.

“At the time there was a lot of niggle, you call it,” Ledesma said.

“It went into big fights, you can go on to the internet and there will be plenty. It was mid ‘90s.

“It was quite dirty and at the time over there, rugby was amateur so there were maybe two cameras filming.

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“At the time the touch judges, one was from Argentina and one was from Uruguay. They were blind on certain things. If our kickers were kicking on that side, it was a very good kick. It was quite noisy, dirty and cheating.”

Much has changed since those days. The game cleaned up and while Argentina’s players became professionals, most of Uruguay’s did not. They remained amateurs — and still do.

“The bridge between the two teams is now much bigger,” Ledesma said.

“Argentina has improved in the last 15 years a lot and Uruguay struggle a little bit more.”

With no professional players in their 2015 Rugby World Cup squad, a Uruguay squad armed with ​spirit​ will be brave but they will be out-classed by the Wallabies at Villa Park in Birmingham on Sunday.

Welshman Scott Baldwin is cut in half by Uruguay defenders.

But some things haven’t changed, according to Ledesma, and the Wallabies will have to be wary.

“They are a really proud country. A really small country, but really proud and quite patriotic,” Ledesma said.

“You see it in the national anthem when they get quite emotional. There will be some aggression, but we don’t need to get into that sort of game — being dirty, disorganised and a dog fight. That’s what they’re looking for.”

Wales cruised home to a 54-9 win over Uruguay on Sunday but the South Americans led 6-0 early, tackled ferociously and exhibited the same fondness for scrummaging as their “brothers” across the River Plate.

“I thought they went quite well against Wales, they turned over 21 balls just by being aggressive and with rushing defence and being hard on the ball, that has always been their trademark. Also their driving maul and scrum,” Ledesma said.

Uruguay players have spent the week resting after the physical clash but said they will fight hard against Australia — who’ll field a second-strong side.

“In some ways we have the bad luck to be in a group in which all of the matches are going to be hard, and Australia has a good team with good player rotation, so those that don’t play today (against Fiji) will play against us on Sunday, and they are surely seeing that match against us as their easiest in the tournament,” fly-half Felipe Berchesi said.

“There are players in our team who are very tough tacklers, but we think that one of our strong points is that we have a good defence, and so are going to try and maintain that.

Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Wallabies clash against Uruguay will be dog fight, warns Australia scrum coach