posted Dec 9, 2008

Confiseur,
Love that movie .. and the story.

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posted Dec 14, 2008

I think that the Pacific teams will beat all of the northern teams, for the first time since 1987 will have "home" crowds and this will be worth ten to twenty points.

Therefore winners of the pools will be

Pool A ABs and Tonga

Pool B Argentina and Scothland or England

Pool c OZ and Ireland

Pool D SA and Samoa

The big 4 to be in the semi (NZ, SA, OZ and Arg)

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posted Dec 21, 2008

Being Argentinean I don t think we are going to be in the SF. We will not be the team of the 2007 WC anymore without Pichot, Longo, Ledesma, etc, etc.
Clearly We are not the n° 4 in the World rankings either.
Then I will replace Arg in the big 4 for Scotland.

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posted Dec 22, 2008

paulcedron

You have to give the Pumas a chance! No one gave it to Argentina in 2007... In that famous "Pool of Death" Argentina was supposed to die first.

Leguizamon can be a very good replacement for Longo; he's playing great rugby at Stade Francais these days, even taking the place of Parise at Nº8. Vernet Basualdo is the first choice hooker for Tolulouse, and he can be the one to replace Ledesdma. For Roncero's place you could consider Marcos Ayerza, a very young prop, playing for Leicester these days.

Don't forget Patricio Albacete and Juan Fernandez Lobbe, both playing good rugby for Toulouse and Sale Sharks respectively.

In the backline, apart from El Mago Hernández, Felipe Contempomi will make to the next RWC. Gonzalo Tiesi is playing very well for the Quins. Don't forget Horacio Agulla, and Marcelo Bosch.

From the local clubs you have Santiago Fernández from Hindu, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, the full-back of Pucara and many, many others.

Just wait and see what happens, and don't give up the 4th place in the rankings: it was clearly obtained by the 2007 generation, kept by the actual players and it belongs to Argentina. Don't hurry to give Scotland a place in the "Big Four", they really have a depth problem recruiting players for their squad.

As for Agustin Pichot, he's been one of the greatest Pumas of all times, but that doesn't mean that no one else could wear the Nº 9 shirt: he was what he was because there were other 14 Pumas on the pitch and many, many more Argentineans wanting to be there.

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posted Dec 28, 2008

StoneAlone
It seems that you kknow a lot about Argentinean rugby, not only about the international players but also about some local and amateur players from Pucará, Hindú, (there are some good ones in the CASI too).
Are you Argentinean?

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posted Dec 29, 2008

paulcedron

I live in BsAs and though I travel abroad quite a lot, I watch the URBA matches every Saturday I can, and enjoy them.

I do follow our international players in Europe whenever I can in Paris, London and even Perpignan (I travel there from Barcelona when I stay on a weekend), but mostly I follow our young amateur players at home, and I really think we have very good rugbiers down here, CASI included, of course (they've played great rugby this season), and Newman, La Plata and many others.

I think Argentina has a future as an International rugby power, provided the UAR does what it has to do. The clubs, they are doing their best.

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posted Dec 29, 2008

"I think Argentina has a future as an International rugby power, provided the UAR does what it has to do. The clubs, they are doing their best."

Stonealone,
I think Argentina ARE a World power in rugby and I see no reason why they should not remain so. They really need a fixed competition to play in - on a yearly basis. Either the 6-N or the TRI-N. As nearly all your players play in Europe - the 6-N would be a far more logical solution - logistically speaking. Whereas the TRI-N is closer to "Home" (if not in distance) in the SH. It's tricky but the IRB must step in and influence this. It is the least ye deserve after the brilliant performance at the WC.

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posted Dec 29, 2008

You're right, Gibson, Argentina is a World rugby power, with no fixed competition yet. The IRB has decided that Argentina's place is the Tri-N, but before that the UAR authorities have to do their homework, and then is when I start doubting. Too many in-fights and so.

The IRB is actually funding the developement of the future pro rugby in Argentina, aimed at the new generations of local, amateur players. It would be great to play SA, NZ and AUS in a yearly basis, but ZANZAR authorities don't seem very enthusiastic about these plans. Only South Africa (which together with France was the other rugby nation that helped develop the high standard rugby that is played nowadays in Argentina) supports the idea.

But the time is coming. Three, maybe four years is not so long, and then, we will compete!

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posted Feb 19, 2009

if Argentina turn pro, what's the chances of the lions touring there?

Interesting thought.

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