Rugby World Cup Profile – Argentina
The Argentina national Rugby Union team also known as Los Pumas, are placed in Pool B of the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC). Besides Argentina, other teams in Pool B include England, Georgia, Romania and Scotland.
The 2011 RWC appearance will be Los Pumas seventh consecutive appearance in the global showpiece tournament. Their best performance in the RWC history came during the 1999 and 2007 RWC events, in which they finished third. In 1999, France defeated the Pumas
47 – 26, while in 2007, the eventual World Cup winners, Springboks, defeated them 37 – 13.
Pumas are currently ranked at eighth place in the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) Rugby World Rankings. They have secured the spot in this year’s World Cup event courtesy of being one of the top 12 teams in the event.
Argentina is more famous for their football but following their two impressive performances in the RWC, their fan following has increased. Pumas hard have any regular international fixtures or appearance but their players are part of top European outfits
and play their professional rugby at Top 14, Aviva Premiership, Heineken Cup, Amlin Challenge Cup and Magners League.
From next year, Pumas will compete with the Southern Hemisphere teams, in which will be going to be the four nations tournament.
As part of their RWC preparation, Argentina recently had an intensive fitness and physical development camp in the USA. They have also played a 1–1 drawn series against the French Barbarians side. Their only other international fixture before the 2011 RWC
is their encounters against South American XV and Wales side.
French Top 14 side, Stade Francais duo of Felipe Contepomi and prop Rodrigo Roncero are Pumas most internationally recognised players. Stade Francais fly half Felipe Contepomi is considered to be one of the best fly half in the game. Few years ago, a few
rated him ahead of the All Blacks star fly half, Dan Carter. He was sensational for Argentina in their 2007 RWC campaign in which they finally exited the tournament in the RWC’s semifinal.
Contepomi will lead his side in the 2011 RWC. His prop Rodrigo Roncero also plays his rugby for Stade Francais. The presence of the duo makes the Argentinean scrum as one of the best rugby scrums in the world.
Agustín Pichot with his 14 appearance holds the record of highest number of international appearances for Argentina. Gonzalo Quesada with his 135 points coming from his 8 international matches is their highest point scorer.
Meanwhile, the trio of Martín Gaitán Pablo Bouza, and Ignacio Corleto with four tries each is Pumas top try scorers.
The Pumas 40-man provisional squad for the 2011 RWC includes:
AGULLA, Horacio (Leicester Tigers, England), ALBACETE, Patricio (Stade Toulousian, France), ASCARATE, Gabriel (Tucumán), AYERZA, Marcos (Leicester Tigers, England), BORDOY, Andres (Pau, France), BORGES, Lucas (Albi, France), BOSCH, Marcelo (Biarritz Olympique,
France), BUSTOS MOYANO, Martín (Montepellier, France), BUSTOS, Maximilano (Montpellier, France), CAMACHO, Gonzalo (Exeter, England), CAMPOS, Alejandro (Agen, France), CARBALLO, Rafael (Union Bordeaux Begles, France), CARIZZA, Manuel (Biarritz Olympique, France),
CONTEPOMI, Felipe (Stade Français, France), CREEVY, Agustín (Montpellier, France), FARIAS CABELLO, Julio (Tucumán), FERNANDEZ LOBBE, Juan Martín (Toulon, France),FERNANDEZ, Santiago (Montpellier, France), FESSIA, Genaro (Córdoba Athletic), FIGALLO, Juan (Montpellier,
France), FIGUEROLA, Agustín (Brive, France), GALARZA, Mariano (Leinster, Ireland), GALINDO, Alvaro (Racing Metro, France), GONZALEZ AMOROSINO, Lucas (Montpellier, France), GOSIO, Agustin (Club Newman), GUIÑAZU, Eusebio (Biarritz Olympique, France), GUZMÁN,
Santiago (Tucumán), IMHOFF, Juan José (Duendes R.C), LALANNE, Alfredo (London Irish, England), LEDESMA AROCENA, Mario Ezequiel (Clermont, France), LEGUIZAMON, Juan (Lyon OU, France), RODRIGUEZ GURRUCHAGA, Martín (Stade Français, France), RONCERO, Rodrigo (Stade
Français, France), SANCHEZ, Nicolás (Tucumán), SCELZO, Martín (Agen, France), SENATORE, Leonardo (G.E.R Rosario), TIESI, Gonzalo (Stade Français, France), VALLEJOS, Tomas (Harlequins, England), VERGALLO, Nicolás (Stade Toulousian, France), Juan Martín Hernández(Racing
Metro, France)
Argentina are not favourites to win the 2011 RWC, however, they will start as favourties to win their pool games against the Georgia and Romania. If they can manage to beat Scotland again, this year they can progress into the second round,
and with their impressive second round performance, they can count on a consecutive RWC semifinal outing.
Argentina's RWC history is given below:
1987 World Cup New Zealand/Australia http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/1987-131410024 May 1987: Fiji beat Argentina 28-8 in Hamilton (Pool 3)
28 May 1987: Argentina beat Italy 25-16 in Christchurch (Pool 3)
01 Jun 1987: New Zealand beat Argentina 46-15 in Wellington (Pool 3)
1991 Rugby World Cup UK/Ireland/France http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/1991-131414504 Oct 1991: Australia beat Argentina 32-19 in Llanelli (Pool 3)
09 Oct 1991: Wales beat Argentina 16-7 in Cardiff (Pool 3)
13 Oct 1991: Samoa beat Argentina 35-12 in Pontypridd (Pool 3)
1995 World Cup South Africa http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/1995-132982727 May 1995: England beat Argentina 24-18 in Durban (Pool B)
30 May 1995: Samoa beat Argentina 32-26 in East London (Pool B)
04 June 1995: Italy beat Argentina beat 31-25 in East London (Pool B)
1999 World Cup UK/Ireland/France http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/1999-133464301 Oct 1999: Wales beat Argentina 23-18 in Cardiff (Pool D)
10 Oct 1999: Argentina beat Samoa 32-16 in Llanelli (Pool D)
16 Oct 1999: Argentina beat Japan 33-12 in Cardiff (Pool D)
20 Oct 1999: Argentina beat Ireland 28-24 in Lens (Quarter-Final Play-Off)
24 Oct 1999: France beat Argentina 47-26 in Dublin (Quarter-Final)
2003 World Cup Australia http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/2003-133756310 Oct 2003: Australia beat Argentina 24-8 in Sydney (Pool A)
14 Oct 2003: Argentina beat Namibia 67-14 in Gosford (Pool A)
22 Oct 2003: Argentina beat Romania 50-3 in Sydney (Pool A)
26 Oct 2003: Ireland beat Argentina 16-15 in Adelaide (Pool A)
2007 World Cup France/UK http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/2007-412237507 Sep 2007: Argentina beat France 17-12 in St Denis (Pool D)
11 Sep 2007: Argentina beat Georgia 33-3 in Lyon (Pool D)
22 Sep 2007: Argentina beat Namibia 63-3 in Marseille (Pool D)
30 Sep 2007: Argentina beat Ireland 30-15 in Paris (Pool D)
07 Oct 2007: Argentina beat Scotland 19-13 in St Denis (Quarter-Final)
14 Oct 2007: South Africa beat Argentina beat 37-13 at St Denis (Semi-Final)
19 Oct 2007: Argentina beat France 34-10 in Paris (3rd Place Play-Off).
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