Four years ago, Argentina used a mix of professional and amateur players to reach the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
Now, a more experienced Pumas squad is hoping for a repeat performance -- and a shot at joining the competition's elite. Its first major challenge will be in the tournament opener.
Argentina was drawn into a difficult group, Pool A, and will kickstart the Cup against defending champion Australia in Oct. 10 in Sydney.
PHOTO: AFP
Buoyed by a string of strong performances, the South Americans are hoping a core group of world-class players -- including many veterans of the last campaign in Wales -- will make their third Cup appearance their most successful.
"This group has a lot of players from 1999 so it has a lot experience," said player Federico Mendez. "Plus we're better organized so we can concentrate on playing."
The Oct. 10-Nov. 22 tournament will provide a measuring stick for one the game's fast-improving squads that boasts players seasoned in foreign competition.
More than two-thirds of Argentina's 30-man squad have played in previous World Cups and the team includes 16 players who play in European or other foreign leagues.
But the Argentines will be without one of their most experienced players in former skipper Lisandro Arbizu, who was sidelined weeks before the World Cup with a knee injury.
Still, the recent success of the Pumas -- who twice defeated France and took South Africa to extra time before losing 26-25 -- have coach Marcelo Loffreda upbeat about his team's chances.
"I am very satisfied with this team," he said, adding the team's goal in Australia will be to equal or better its 1999 performance.
Loffreda, a former Pumas center who played from 1972 to 1994 but never participated in a World Cup, took over the national XV in May 2000. He has formed a well-rounded squad, emphasizing an attacking style.
The Pumas' offshore stars, like halfback pairing Agustin Pichot and Gonzalo Quesada will line up along side a core group of home-based players who are virtually amateurs.
Argentina's weakest link may be in defense. Hoping to shore up the backline, Loffreda has sought fixed formations and stressed tougher tackling.
Ahead of the Cup, the Pumas have been involved in some high scoring and close matches so the new bonus points system introduced by the International Rugby Board for this year's tournament could help them as the competition progresses.
Under the system, a team is awarded four points for a win, plus one bonus point if it scores four tries or more or loses by less than seven points.
Loffreda said he is expecting the opener to be a tough challenge for his squad. The Pumas have never won in Sydney.
"They are one of the best teams in the world. Beating them at home will be very difficult," he said. "On the other hand, we will go into that game with nothing to lose."
The Pumas scored an historic upset on Australian soil in 1983, beating the Wallabies 18-3 at Ballymore in Brisbane. But the Wallabies lead Argentina 11-1-4 in head-to-heads and won their only previous World Cup clash Llanelli, Wales in 1991.
Australia and Argentina were grouped with Ireland, Romania, and Namibia, with Pool A featuring three teams among the Top 10 in the IRB rankings: Ireland (No. 3), Australia (No. 4) and Argentina (No. 7).
Still, Loffreda said he was not taking Namibia and Romania lightly.
"We don't know much about them, but we must be on our toes as any slip against them will be costly," he said.
And Ireland?
"Playing on hard ground might suit us better, but we must study them carefully," he said. "It seems like it will be the key game for us in terms of qualifying for the next round."
Only two teams from each of the four groups progress to the quarterfinals.
The second half of the Argentina squad arrived Wednesday and joined a pre-Cup camp in Sydney.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was