Even with his side atop the Rugby Championship, even after a history-making first victory against the All Blacks on NZ soil, coach Michael Cheika still sees Argentina as underdogs heading into Saturday's second test.
Fresh from last weekend's 28-15 victory at OrangeTheory Stadium, the Pumas are still considered outsiders - by bookmakers at least - to emerge victorious in the Hamilton rematch.
Christchurch was Cheika's first test victory on New Zealand soil, ending a winless run that dated back to his time with the Wallabies.
But although Argentina find themselves up against an All Blacks side bereft of confidence - and an unchanged starting XV to the one beaten last week, Cheika doesn't believe the Pumas should be considered favourites to upset their hosts again.
"Mate, we're in New Zealand, playing against New Zealand," Cheika told media. "I know you guys like to manoeuvre the story around, but we're about as underdog as they get, because you win once, so no-one expects you to win again.
"That's what that's about. The guys need to believe we can do it is us and we need to go into the game with that attitude."
But up against the odds, Cheika takes inspiration from the historical fiction novel Gates of Fire, detailing the story of the Battle of Thermopylae similarly depicted in the 2006 film 300.
In the novel, the Spartan army are vastly outnumbered by the opposing Persian force, a comparison Cheika makes with Argentina's task while in Aotearoa.
"We're here, there's just a few of us and everyone in New Zealand is coming at us," he added. "This week isn't going to be any different.
"They had to get through several battles to achieve what they wanted in that story and we've got to get through several battles to achieve what we want.
"All of them will get harder as we go along and this is one of them."
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