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Argentina’s teams – Los Jaguares and Los Pumas did not come away with the results they desired. The numbers is to be the subject of this, the final Forward Thinking of the year.
In 2016 Los Pumas played 13 test matches. Los Jagures had 15 matches in Super Rugby. Combined this meant that Argentina’s leading domestic-based players had 28 matches to play.
Welsh Captain Reaches 100
This Christmas weekend sees Wales’ captain reaching a milestone. Sam Warburton will play his 100th match for the Cardiff Blues. He has played for the Welsh region since 2009, the same year he also made his international debut.
The period of 2009-2016 has seen Warburton earning 71 caps at international level. 69 of these have been for Wales and two for the British and Irish Lions. The ratio of test caps to Cardiff Blues appearances is very interesting.
For all purposes the Cardiff Blues is to Wales what Los Jaguares is to Argentina. The difference is that Wales also has the Ospreys, Newport-Gwent Dragons and Scarlets. These provide Wales with four teams to meet the test side. Argentina has just one.
Argentine Player Management
Wales played four test matches in November, Warburton was involved in two of these. He also missed Wales’ match against Italy in the 2016 Six Nations. Injuries led to his unavailability but careful player management meant he would be in prime shame when needed for his country.
In 2016 Argentina had five players who played in all 13 test matches: Agustín Creevy, Tomás Cubelli, Martín Landajo, Julián Montoya and Javier Ortega Desio. Captain Creevy earned four more caps in the year than did the Welsh skipper.
Creevy captained not only his country but also Los Jaguares. He always played when available. He was, however, not the most used player. That honor went to Guido Petti and Santiago García Botta, both of whom made 14 appearances out of 15. Martín Landajo was next with 13 appearances.
What is striking from this is that Raúl Pérez utilized 41 players. With there being 41 athletes anyone playing in the vast majority of matches is playing more than he ought to be. The logic behind this is that Los Jaguares is like the Cardiff Blues. Many top players at the Cardiff Blues, and most Guinness Pro 12 sides, are managed much like Warburton.
The pressure and expectation of Super Rugby did not see Creevy, Petti or Landajo managed like Warburton. All three are, nonetheless, first choice Pumas in their respective positions. Them playing so extensively is logically related to performance levels.
The two non-Jaguares involved with Los Pumas in 2016 were Tomás Cubelli and Juan Pablo Estelles. Including his game time at the Brumbies Cubelli played 28 matches. Landajo, Petti and Creevy’s deputy, Julián Montoya each played 26 matches. The gap ought to be bigger given Cubelli was an import and holding down a starting spot in an Australian team.
2017 Priority Management
Senior players including Petti and Pablo Matera commented in November that Argentina was not playing good enough. Los Pumas went from six tests in the Rugby Championship to four in November. Argentina’s opponents were all far fresher.
England, Wales and Scotland all exercise some form of player management over their leading local-based players. This often sees clubs fielding weakened lineups in the Guinness Premiership or Aviva Premiership. With training camps in October club sides were denied players.
The benefit of the country is the motivating factor in such decision making. With World Rankings on the line and a Rugby World Cup draw fast approaching it is hard to argue against it. Argentina paid the price and a Pool of Death is now certain unless France, Scotland or Wales has a nightmare Six Nations campaign.
While it is too late to win rankings points the lesson of tired bodies can help in 2017. Daniel Hourcade’s ideal starting lineup ought to be utilized similar to Warburton and not Landajo in 2017.
Of the 41 players used many were emergencies. For season 2017 planning is needed to avoid calling in players from the Argentina XV. Rather than have occasional training sessions with the senior Jaguares roster they should be integrated from the beginning. They should be released to play in the Americas Rugby Championship not the opposite.
To show an example the No 8 position is explanatory. The suspension of Leonardo Senatore in 2016 meant Facundo Isa played non-stop for the duration of the year. Knowing that Isa will be the likely starter for Los Pumas in 2017 he could be managed like Warburton. This could be done in the form of Senatore and Benjamín Macome. Roster members Rodrigo Báez and Juan Manuel Leguizamón amplify this possibility.
Ironically in 2015 Hourcade limited game time for Los Pumas per player prior to the Rugby World Cup. In 2016 the juggling of priorities meant this did not happen. The result was players starting out of position for Argentina. For 2017 this must be corrected.
