Pumas plot another World Cup shock
ALEJO MIRANDA talks to Argentina coach Mario Ledesma about their mammoth task in Japan
As No.9 in the World Rugby rankings, Argentina were the bugbear of the Rugby World Cup draw. Wherever they might fall, it would be the “Pool of Death”. England have been cursed for the second time in a row after their less than favourable draw in 2015, and while it’s anyone’s guess which French side will turn up, the abrupt downfall of Pumas post reaching the semi-finals in 2015 has them as underdogs. Still, the outcome of Pool C at Japan 2019 is open. All we know is that it will be thrilling.
After breaking the bank while breaking Irish hearts in the quarterfinals in 2015 to produce an all-southern Hemisphere last four, Argentina has paid a high price for engaging Super Rugby which included a strict ‘home only’ selection policy. In the last three years, they have won just eight of 37 Tests (21.62%). That record is even poorer against prime European teams, as France have been their only victim, in the first game of 2016.
Since then, Argentina have lost 14 consecutive Test matches against the top five nations north of the equator. That includes all four versus England and the latter two against France, both embarrassing: 27-0 in Tucumán in 2016 and 28-13 in Lille last November.
“I don’t even analyse that last game – it was by far the worst we’ve played last year,” said Argentine head coach Mario Ledesma. “I’m confident that we will win the first match at the Rugby World Cup.”
Ledesma took control of Pumas in July after a successful short tenure in Super Rugby with Jaguares. His impact was immediate and led the team to a first ever two-win Rugby Championship campaign. It should have been three if it wasn’t for an inexplicable loss in the last game against the Wallabies after leading 31-7 at halftime.
However, they failed to build off that in November and finished the year with four losses in Europe against Ireland, Scotland, France and Barbarians.
So, which is the proper semblance of this Argentine side? The one that stands equal in front of Springboks and Wallabies (and even Kiwi Super Rugby powers)? Or one that struggles when facing slow paced, physical, tactical European teams?
“The evaluation should go deeper,” says Ledesma. “Against Ireland, we were even until the 70th minute even though the scrum was not working and our front rowers were aged 20 and 22. If Nicolas Sánchez would have been more accurate, if we hadn’t dropped the ball over the opposition in-goal, we would have beaten Scotland. In November, European teams are at their prime while we were at the end of a very exhausting 10-month run that included a lot of travelling.”
Ledesma focuses on the bright side. Truth is, numbers aside, he has reasons to be optimistic. Even though the stats don’t put Pumas as favorites to beat France or England and go through to the quarter-finals in Japan, since he has gained control of Argentine rugby things have started to click.
When Argentina opted to join Super Rugby, a transition era began; a transition that was as huge as it was tough. In order to ensure a competitive Jaguares team, but also to centralise a squad among similar rugby styles and calendars, it banned overseas players from selection for the national team.
Jaguares had a hard time adapting to the intensity of Super Rugby. And Pumas struggled without pillars such as Juan Fernández Lobbe, Marcelo Bosch, Juan Imhoff and Marcos Ayerza, and lost their identity. On the way, they lost other key players: Facundo Isa, Santiago Cordero and a ton of front rowers went overseas. Losses piled one game after another. Revolutionary head coach Daniel Hourcade lost the compass and, subsequently, the control of the team.
Ledesma, a former international hooker and most-capped Argentine player at RWC (18 games in four tournaments), took charge of the Jaguares in October 2017 and turned their fate.
Having worked under Michael Cheika at first Stade Francais and then as Wallabies forwards coach, Ledesma was moving towards a much more structured type of game. By focusing on the basics – defence and set-piece – the team found its way. And he still had the wings to play the fast-paced, ball in hand, style that Hourcade had imprinted.
Jaguares made the play-offs for the first time in three years of existence. Finally, the team seemed to have adapted to the intensity and physicality of Super Rugby and even began the present season successfully, with victories
“I’m confident that we will win the first match at the Rugby World Cup against France” - Mario Ledesma
over Bulls and Blues although involving some young talent.
After a disgraceful 2018 June series, where Argentina looked soulless at home against second string representatives from Wales (twice) and Scotland, Hourcade was dismissed and Ledesma gained full control. He was able to replicate his success with Jaguares in the international stage as Pumas beat both the Springboks and Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
“You need to consider where we started, too,” insists Ledesma. “We took the team after a very tough June series. Yes, 2018 was not a great year in terms of results. We would be crazy if we thought that. But the picture is not that bad, either. We need to see further and find the aspects that allow us to think that we can win that first game at the Rugby World Cup. And I’m confident that we will win it.”
Along with Ledesma’s arrival, the Argentine Union loosened their selection policy. Players overseas were accepted under the condition of “extreme necessity”. Front row pair Juan Figallo (Saracens) and Ramiro Herrera (Stade Française) saw their way back to the team and helped rise a struggling scrum. For the World Cup, Ledesma has promised to gather the “best possible team”, though he will continue to favour Argentine-based players. Still, Sánchez, Imhoff, Cordero and Isa, among others, are in contention.
There’s another ingredient that must be remebered: Argentina’s habit to overachieve at World Cups. Since 1999 they have reached quarter-finals in four of five occasions, and twice made it to the final four. Ledesma was part of the squad in 2007 that downed hosts France in the opening game. Tokyo Stadium on September 21 will be the place to be to see if they can shock the French again.