Relaxed Pumas approach offers insight into their philosophy

THE most striking aspect of Argentina’s training session is that after the usual 10 minutes of vision access, in which photographers and television crews are free to video what they like, the assembled group of Argentinian and Irish journalists are allowed to remain in situ and watch the intense session that lasts just over two hours.

Perhaps this is the norm around the world, but in Ireland it is very much a closed shop.

Even in his first few months in the job, head coach Mario Ledesma cuts a laid-back figure as he laughs and jokes with everyone around him without any fear of prying eyes.

Felipe Contepomi is one of the interested spectators at the session, which is held in Wanderers RFC. The Pumas legend is greeted like a god by each of the players and the travelling press corps.

Argentina have arrived in Dublin on the back of yet another extremely long season and managed to retain the same sense of openness they started out with.

A frustrated Marcos Kremer stands on the sideline. The 21-year-old is the only player not training. Later we are informed that the flanker is about to return home for personal reasons.

Between the Super Rugby outfit, the Jaguares, and the national team, the Pumas’ schedule lasts a staggering 340 days a year.

Roughly five European-based players, including Racing winger Juan Imhoff and Stade tighthead Ramiro Herrera, are expected to link up with the squad next year ahead of the World Cup as the union relax their selection policy.

The introduction of the Jaguares has been a success. This season they won nine of their 16 Super Rugby games to finish seventh of 15 in the overall standings.

It means that Ledesma has a plethora of young players coming through, including the likes of Guido Petti (23), Bautista Delguy (21) and Emiliano Boffelli (23), who are all based at home.

“Staying in Argentina is a good thing,” Petti (right) insists.

“It makes the team more united. We have a lot of time together. That makes us know each other a bit better. Before we were gathering from different parts of the world and trying to learn the ideas. Now we are together since the very first day of the year, so that is an advantage for us. It’s nice now too playing in Europe.

“We know they play different, we know the scrum here is maybe more important, they make larger scrums. There are pros and cons.

“We (Jaguares) are getting better, every year getting better. I don’t know if we are the best or the eighth or the 16th but I know the team is getting better every year and we all notice that. We are working and we will keep working on that.”

A lot of focus has been on the Pumas’ scrum. It hasn’t been the same weapon in recent years, which is one of the main reasons why Ledesma, a powerful scrummager in his time as a player, was brought in.

Yesterday’s session concluded with the backs hitting the showers early, while the pack were drilled on the scrum machine.

Inside the squad there is a realisation that people are questioning their set-piece, which is why they are out to make a big statement against Ireland’s formidable pack.

“I think we are improving,” reasons Petti. “Maybe it was not the best year for us, we had a lot of difficulties but we are getting better.

“We are getting used to it and I think all of us are clear on what we have to do, so it’s a matter of doing what we say to do.

“I know the Argentine scrum is known since the ’60s. Maybe there are some ups and downs, but we are good and I think every match is a new match, so we have to forget about what maybe happened in the Rugby Championship, where we didn’t have too many good scrums. We will get better.

“I think we have very clear ideas. We are all heading to the same point, and that’s very good for a team. The union is much better.

“I think we are all on the same page, and that makes the team ready for a good game.”

It was interesting to hear Joe Schmidt note yesterday that he was not expecting Petti, a powerful lock, to start in the back-row.

Of the 43 caps that he will have won come tomorrow evening, this will be the first time that Petti has started as a flanker, so you can understand Schmidt’s surprise.

“They (Ireland) are a great team, very complete,” Petti adds. “They have a strong scrum, maul. They play very good with the coaches. We will have to pay a lot of attention to the small spaces that we have. We have to take advantage of that and score some points.”