Los Pumas have every reason to finally win

ARGENTINA’s record in the Rugby Championship is as ailing as their free-falling economy.

They effectively defaulted in the corresponding fixture against the Springboks last year but they will send their best-prepared team yet into battle at Loftus tomorrow.

Los Pumas were drubbed 73-13 at Soccer City last year but, with a new coach in Daniel Hourcade and new captain Agustin Creevy, the visitors hope to consign those events to history. In fact, just six of last year’s starters will do so again tomorrow, while the Springboks have nine returnees in their ranks.

The need for Los Pumas to start a new chapter cannot be stressed enough. They have played 12 games since the launch of the Rugby Championship two years ago and they are yet to record a win.

They will, however, run out at Loftus with renewed vigour, having spent time in the US and Europe — and with the benefit of 10 days of training at altitude. They will also have intimate knowledge of the local rugby landscape, with Hourcade having taken charge of the Pampas team that campaigned in the Vodacom Cup until last year.

In fact, several players, including captain Creevy, scrumhalf Martin Landajo and ace goal kicker Nicolás Sanchez cut their teeth in that competition. The visitors are primed and ready to go, and it would not have escaped them that despite the fact that the entire Bok squad had been in camp for almost two weeks, several players in the home side are short of a gallop.

Captain Jean de Villiers, Damian de Allende, Ruan Pienaar, Bryan Habana, Tendai Mtawarira, Bakkies Botha, Lood de Jager and Francois Louw are short of game time.

Add to that the fact that gifted flyhalf Handre Pollard will start only his second Test, and that De Allende will make his debut in a position he last occupied against the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup last year.

Argentina will target the pair but they have De Villiers to shepherd them. “Jean will be there and that will help,” said De Allende.

“For me it’s going to be about making the right decisions at the right time. Identify the space on the outside and the space behind the defenders.”