Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The time for talk is over. All teams have completed their on-field preparations for the biggest competition of them all, the Rugby World Cup. The twenty competing teams are officially the world’s top twenty as listed in current World Rankings. Argentina’s opposition offer a mixed bag with Pool C containing both the world’s top ranked side, the World Cup’s bottom ranked team and everything in between with 11th ranked Tonga.
The variation in ranking is part of the puzzle in what lies ahead for Argentina in England and Wales. No games are easy but the luck of the draw significantly impacts ones preparations. For the top ranked team from the Americas the draw offers a vastly different campaign than previous tournaments.
Rugby’s Ugly Face of 2003
The existing model began in 2003 and Argentina was asked to do the impossible by playing four games in sixteen days, completing all four matches before England had played for the third time. The organizers did such a dire job that Argentina’s opponents Australia and Ireland played each other six days after Los Pumas’ fourth match.
Coach Marcelo Loffreda was unable to use Argentina’s matches against Namibia and Romania as preparation for Ireland due to the dates being so close together. Only three days separated the matches against Romania and Ireland which led him to field two different teams rather than build for the later as would have been the case with a fairer schedule.
I remember word for word the post match comments from Agustín Pichot who was bang on the money in saying the organizers have got the eight quarter finalists they wanted. He was referring to the Old Boy’s network of those who have two votes on the World Rugby Council. The status quo sadly remains to this day.
Los Pumas were not alone with Canada, Italy and Tonga all having appalling schedules. The same cannot be said of not only Australia and Ireland but also teams including England, New Zealand and Wales. Just how former Australian Rugby CEO John O’Neill can be said to be a reputable administrator is beyond me. He oversaw the most outrageous World Cup of all time, significantly favoring certain teams. Looking back is just as painful as it was watching at the time.
Forgiveness
Errors were admitted by World Rugby (formerly IRB) officials which saw Argentina given an additional week to play Ireland in 2007 than had been the case in 2003. The group was again tough with France, Georgia and Namibia joining them. A similarly tough ask of facing England, Georgia, Romania and Scotland followed in 2011 with Santiago Phelan being able to, like Loffreda in 2007, utilize the lower ranked opposition matches to prepare properly.
Rugby World Cups 2007, 2011 and also 1999 demonstrated that when Argentina is given a fair chance it can deliver. Los Pumas may not have won all their matches but they performed much better and, on all occasions, reached the play-offs. Argentina’s wins over Samoa and Japan in 1999 were vital to preparing for Ireland. Similarly in 2011 facing Romania was vital to facing Scotland.
The here and now
This brings us to the present day, or eleven days before another World Cup. It is to showcase the fairest schedule to date but is not yet appropriate. Japan will be facing South Africa and Scotland with just three days in between while Uruguay will be doing likewise against Fiji and England. Hardly fair on these, the, lower ranked sides.
Argentina, meanwhile will face good dates and a far more negotiable path to the play-offs than all seven previous World Cups. It will start vs New Zealand with Argentina set to field a close to identical lineup to that which faced Leicester this past weekend.
Returning will be captain Agustín Creevy at hooker who is to join Juan Fernández Lobbe as a fetcher with Pablo Matera and Facundo Isa predominantly acting as ball-carriers on offense and hard-hitting no-nonsense tacklers. Their speed in tandem will enable Fernández Lobbe to do what he does best for Toulon. Behind them will be a back-line featuring play-makers and finishers.
| # | Possible Team vs New Zealand |
| 1 | Marcos Ayerza |
| 2 | Agustín Creevy |
| 3 | Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro |
| 4 | Guido Petti Pagadizábal |
| 5 | Tomás Lavanini |
| 6 | Pablo Matera |
| 7 | Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe |
| 8 | Facundo Isa |
| 9 | Tomás Cubelli |
| 10 | Nicolás Sánchez |
| 11 | Juan Imhoff |
| 12 | Juan Martín Hernández |
| 13 | Marcelo Bosch |
| 14 | Santiago Cordero |
| 15 | Joaquín Tuculet |
Next up will be Georgia, a team Argentina knows from previous World Cups and has certainly made Argentina work hard for the wins. Hourcade, though, has a different game plan which is far more attacking and he will pick a less mobile pack accordingly.
Tinkering rather than wholesale changes are likely as indeed will also be the case against Tonga. Most players on the roster will have the opportunity of starting against one of the two while the team that faces Namibia in the fourth and final pool match will be much changed.
Hourcade’s roster reflects selections on playing a certain way and he believes in team over the individual ion the old-fashioned sense of leave the ego at the door. Patricio Albacete learned this the hard way. There are certain to be questions raised during the World Cup as to selections but fans should rest assured el huevo unequivocally knows what he is doing.
The away wins in Paris and Durban are explanatory as many involved were blooded by Hourcade in 2014. So much so that only Hernández and Imhoff were regulars under Phelan and started in both wins. Injuries complicate preparations but Hourcade has proven that he has the mind and the means to adapt. At the World Cup expect no different.
| # | Possible team vs Namibia |
| 1 | Lucas Noguera Paz |
| 2 | Julián Montoya |
| 3 | Ramiro Herrera |
| 4 | Mariano Galarza |
| 5 | Matías Alemanno |
| 6 | Javier Ortega Desio |
| 7 | Juan Manuel Leguizamón |
| 8 | Leonardo Senatore |
| 9 | Martín Landajo |
| 10 | Santiago González Iglesias |
| 11 | Horacio Agulla |
| 12 | Juan Pablo Socino |
| 13 | Jeronimo De la Fuente |
| 14 | Matías Moroni |
| 15 | Lucas González Amorosino |
