Pumas focus on growth
21 Aug 2012
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan hopes his team’s participation in the Rugby Championship will improve their standard of play.
What’s expected of the Argentina this season? Realistically?
A more accurate estimation will be made after their opening home Test against the Springboks in Mendoza on Saturday, but during a recent chat with Phelan, he indicated that results won’t be the key objective during their opening run in the Rugby Championship.
‘Our main goal is to increase our rugby growth,’ Phelan told keo.co.za. ‘We are effectively playing against the top three sides in the world, so this will be a big challenge for us. Especially during our tour to Australia and New Zealand, which will be something new.
‘But we will become better with this experience and will hopefully improve week by week.’
Phelan added that he was satisfied with his team’s performance against the Springboks in their tournament opener at Newlands, despite going down 27-6.
‘I think most of the points we conceded in the first half came from our own mistakes. If we can pick up on our discipline and work on our individual errors, we will be more competitive in Mendoza.’
The focus on growth rather than results this season is fair.
The Pumas will aim to be competitive, but securing victory against the strongest nations on the international scene will be a tough ask. You can expect the Argentines to be errant, but their standards will improve and their players will learn valuable lessons.
The progress they’re set to make should be more effective, compared to the steps Italy have made since their debut in the Six Nations.
Italy, who are currently ranked 11th, made their debut in the northern hemisphere’s premier Test tournament in 2000, but they still struggle against the world’s elite 12 years later. Argentina, currently ranked eighth, have shown great potential, despite their absence from a premier Test competition.
Their third-place finish at the 2007 World Cup will be remembered as their greatest achievement. They also did well to progress to the knockout rounds of the 2011 World Cup as their group included England and Scotland.
And it must be noted that this was achieved under difficult circumstances.
The South American’s best players are all based in Europe, and the team hardly spends enough time together because of their club commitments.
These issues will also affect the Pumas during the Rugby Championship, as their European-based players will only be available for the opening six rounds. They are also without top points-scorer and star back Felipe Contepomi, who decided to play in the June Tests against France before returning to Stade Francais.
A formal solution hasn’t been announced yet by the UAR, as most of the hype has been focused on Argentina’s introduction into the Rugby Championship.
Pundits believe more of Argentina’s best players should feature in Super Rugby, which could be a win-win situation. The Argentina U20s finished fourth in the Junior World Championship and the Argentina Jaguars (their second stringers) have done well in the IRB Nations Cup, which indicates that there is strong talent coming through the ranks. How the UAR approaches this will be important.
If Argentina can solve their issues off the field and continue to learn during the Rugby Championship, there’s so much potential to fulfill in the coming years.
By Gareth Duncan
16 Comments
21 Aug 2012, 11:53 am
Learning dragons
21 Aug 2012, 12:01 pm
Arg looked a little off the pace outside of the set pieces and mauls last weekend. Their forwards were at times not so far behind the required standard (discipline poor though), but they will need their backline to find another gear before becoming a real threat. Not sure how many of their backline play in France etc vs the Arg ‘amateur’ comps , but the best thing for them would be to get some top players into the S15 teams if possible.
Most important Keo thing though is what will all the SA supporters on here call them when they start winning the odd game. So far we have the Aus “convicts’ and the NZ “sheepshaggers”, but haven’t seen any hint of the corresponding Arg insult yet.
21 Aug 2012, 12:11 pm
An amateur team playing in the Vodacom Cup (and winning), a ‘B’ team playing in the Nations Cup and now a slice of the pie in the toughest test series in the world… this rugby nation is definitely at the base of the start of an upward trend on so many levels IMO…
21 Aug 2012, 13:07 pm
This is very simple:
a) We have not experience un super rugby (only Guiñazú, the replacement of Creevy, hooker both).
b) This is the first team coached by Santiago Phelan. Believe or not his previously experience was an u15 in CASI, from there to the pumas.
If we win something will be for the players, lucky and/or god.
21 Aug 2012, 13:11 pm
Pumas have not had much game time pre-4N, we’ll see just where the Pumas are at this weekend.
@aliboy-2: their backline at the weekend all play in France and England however they lost their centres Tiesi and Contepomi to injury which weakened their hand in the centres.
Amorisino was just a poor selection at full-back.
21 Aug 2012, 15:04 pm
TheTorcuatense – hola buddy. So glad to have the Pumas in rugby championship. Your inclusion is long overdue. The Pumas will progess alot better than Italy, i also believe that argentina will need to get team/s into the S15. Hopefully SANSAR will create 2 groups or 4 groups of team for a large S rugby otherwise players will not cope.
22 Aug 2012, 00:46 am
@Big Hit-5: To be honest the backs looked like a group of journeymen against the Boks, and a fully fit AB or Aus backline is going to make the comparison even worse. Having said that, the good defensive structure of the Boks in that game would have contributed to Arg’s backline problems. To my eyes the Arg backs also looked a bit slow as well as lacking penetration, so thinking that it is not a game plan issue, more a personnel issue.
Torcuatense – great to see the Arg team in the comp and looking forward to seeing them in NZ soon. Have very good memories of watching the H Porta team in the 70′s. That team played some great rugby at times. Does the current team have any really fast or otherwise ‘special’ young guys coming through that we should watch out for?
22 Aug 2012, 03:29 am
Dear race of tan:
Our main problem is the time. We join in this RCh as guest. If we don´t do our homework, in 2014, the sanzar could tell us: Good bye, they was very clear in these point, we must be attractive, our inclusion must mean money.
In other hand we are in this Champoinship because our new father (IRB) donated 10 millon USD of losses caused by the inclusion of the Pumas. And the IRB give us 3 millon USD to develop professional players (if we have a good project, Italy, France and England immediately enroll him).
And we have some luxuries: The kick trainer of France in the last RWC, was the top scorer of Whales 99, Gonzalo Quesada, and France was the best team sending the ball to the H.
We? we have no kick trainer, and Quesada tell : “I could go to the pumas to give the tee or water bottles, be a part of the team could be a dream”.
And we wasted 5 easy penalties, the result? we loss 9:13 against England!!
WTF????
Our scrum? is an australian joke.
We is working the Scrum legend Patricio Noriega? Deans tell that he is a open book, so…… he is training the pumas? No! he is in France!
We understand the rugby keeping focus in the scrum, but the new forward trainer said” This is a French techineque” We repect all, but dude, be honest with yourself we was the masters in this area, the french college could bring some to learn, but don´t forget who is the boss. The forward trainer (Reggiardo) although it was a good player, was famous for his dishonest tricks.
Sorry for the extension, but many of us are a little angry and if we loss this chance to stay in this champonship, some heads will roll to the basket.
Aliboy: Our promise could be Imhoff (win); Landajo (scrum half) and Ayerza (n°1) but the main obstacle is our feet coach ( he think with the feet).
And thanks, thanks to the Southafricans to helps us, we hope not to disappoint.
22 Aug 2012, 04:11 am
@TheTorcuatense-8: Ther eare a lot of things to sort out first – the Argies are in a catch 22 situation. if they have stability in teh competition, they will get good players and coaches. If they have good coaches and players, they will get stability. But which comes first?
I think there has to be an expanded super compo that includes Argie sides. otherwise they are going to continue to have problems getting players back from clubs, and putting a settled side together in time to train together.
We need to also inlcue the PI teams as super sides, with a combined PI team as a fifth Rugby Championship team.
The super compo must be shortened so that the teams of each country play only other away and at home, and then the top two take part in a knockout playoff (like the RWC). This would leave time for an expanded Rugby Championship, with everyone playing everyone elese home and away.
22 Aug 2012, 04:57 am
Argentina are here to stay. There is no way we will go back to three teams playing each other three times a season. The super comp needs sorting out though. We will see a comp divided into conferences that are more like the American systems.
22 Aug 2012, 06:00 am
@TheTorcuatense-8:
Mate, you guys are here to stay.
Argentina joining has given this comp another life really. A few people on here were getting annoyed with the same thing everytime.
In fact i thought you guys played well for first time up, lack of game times in South Africa, missing a couple of players as well i believe.
You have not disappointed anyone.
All i know is us kiwis want another go at ya. You really made it tough for us in the RWC 2011. So we know how well you guys can play.
22 Aug 2012, 08:09 am
Argentina now need to get a team in Super rugby or atleast get some of your players playing in the Super Rugby. Then you wont have the problem of clubs trying holding your players if they play in the southern hemisphere.
22 Aug 2012, 09:12 am
@Sasuke-12: Actually a great idea – i am sure the Southern Spears will give up their position – LOL – but this would be a great idea although i am sure the travel issue would raise its ugly head.
22 Aug 2012, 10:48 am
Due to the sheer number of games the travel (and costs) would be an issue for an Arg S15 team. Can’t see a solution to that one.
22 Aug 2012, 12:23 pm
@aliboy-7: their back three and flyhalf are as good as any in the comp, they’re weak at 9 and in the centres.
23 Aug 2012, 03:31 am
Dear SjamBok:
I could have the best players of the world, but if the coach no….
Is not the same, but is very simple:
If we talk about football, we have the largest best players in 2010 to win easy the world cup in South Africa, but the trainer have no head, he WAS an amazing player, only that.
We see this like impossible, and I will be glad if you could tell if this is true or not: http://www.superxv.com/news/super15_rugby_news.asp?id=34959
If the Southafrican can´t do this (keep in mind that the main money flows come from SA)….what can we wait?
Hurricane;
Yes, but we are the “almost” team. We make the day very long to all, but we are tired, we want win.
We traning every tuesday and thursday, under -0°, with rain, mud, cold. We do 150 km to invest our money and play 80 minutes. We need see us grow up, we have players, coaches, mistic, history. Andhere only we hear, patience, patience.
I don´t know.
Thanks for sharing this, in we will glad to invite to Mendoza ” tierra del sol y el buen vino” trans. “Land of sun and good wine”.
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