Coming off another incorrect decision, Beauden Parrot has to toss up between hearty Argentinian barbecue or good old Kiwi fish and chips. Video / NZ Herald
As the All Blacks prepare to play Argentina for a place in the World Cup final, Michael Burgess recalls a fact-finding trip to the Andean country in 2012, ahead of their long-awaited Rugby Championship debut.
It’s easy to forget now, but Argentina’s entry into the Rugby Championship just over adecade ago wasn’t universally popular, and far from straightforward.
It was a brave step by Sanzar - after it was clear there was no place for the Pumas in the Six Nations - but there was concern over how competitive they would be. The last thing needed was a scenario like Italy, who claimed only three wins in their first seven seasons in the flagship European competition. Australia was also unhappy, with the expected revenue hit from fewer games against their traditional rivals, compared with the Tri-Nations format.
It had taken years of lobbying within World Rugby to make it happen, as well as financial assistance. While some New Zealand administrators were concerned, there was a mix of trepidation and excitement on the streets in Argentina. Just over six months before their first bow, I spent time in Buenos Aires and Rosario, visiting rugby clubs and meeting prominent coaches and former players.
Back then, Marcelo Loffreda was a revered figure, as the architect of Argentina’s remarkable 2007 World Cup campaign, where they reached the semifinals. We spoke one sunny afternoon, as he made his way around the bustling streets of the capital.
“In my eight years [as coach] we always wanted to be part of a regular tournament,” said Loffreda, who was in charge between 2000 and 2007. “I don’t know if we will be ready but we can’t turn down this opportunity. We will pay a price but the only way is to play and we will adapt very fast.”
Former Argentinian coach Marcelo Loffreda. Photo / Photosport
Former Pumas captain Daniel Baetti, who was also Loffreda’s assistant, pleaded caution, noting that the squad would take time to adjust.
“We need to prepare the Argentinian public and media for the fact that in the first few years, there will be some heavy losses,” said Baetti. “But we have great potential and it will be hard here for the visiting teams. We always rise to the occasion.”
Former All Blacks coach Alex Wyllie had reservations. He had a unique insight - having coached the Pumas for three years in the 1990s - and felt it was a big jump.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” Wyllie told the Herald. “It would have made more sense to get an Argentinian team into Super Rugby and try to build from there. This way it is going to be a huge step.”
Former All Blacks coach Alex Wylie, who later took charge of Argentina. Photo / Photosport
Before 2012, Argentina had existed in the rugby wilderness. They were streets ahead of the rest of South America but contact with other top-tier nations was intermittent and irregular outside World Cups, especially their southern hemisphere rivals.
At that time they hadn’t faced Australia since the 2003 World Cup and had played the Springboks only twice in the previous six years. Games against Los All Blacks were also relatively rare, with just five clashes in the preceding 14 years. The prospect of annual home and away contests against the three regional powers was both enticing and scary.
“It is the biggest challenge that Argentinian rugby has ever faced,” then-coach Santiago Phelan told the Herald. He said it was tougher than a World Cup campaign, given the travel and strength of the opposition. “I think people who understand rugby realise we have a very difficult path ahead of us and will judge accordingly. We have to give our all and see what happens from there.”
The desire to avoid Italy’s fate was a common sentiment. Argentina faced a much greater challenge - given the respective strength of the two competitions - but could also count on more rugby heritage and structure than the Europeans. They are also bred differently. The local club competition is intense, with top-level players training up to four times a week.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan during the post-match press conference in 2013. Photo / Photosport
“We are professional amateurs,” said one proudly, as we watched a training session at Jockey Club de Rosario. “We love it.”
It gives them a superb grounding and over the decades many players have transferred from Argentinean competition into the French Top 14 or English Premiership and thrived.
But entry into the Rugby Championship, along with the flourishing network of high-performance centres over the last decade, has flicked the switch, with Saturday’s game their second semifinal appearance in the last three World Cups.
They have faced the All Blacks 22 times since 2012 and it is no coincidence that their groundbreaking victories have come in recent years, while Scotland and Wales (since 1953) wait for a positive result against New Zealand.
While their overall Rugby Championship record isn’t eye-catching (nine wins and three draws from 61 matches) their progress has been undeniable, with plenty of close results in that mix.
Before the Rugby Championship, they hadn’t beaten Australia since 1997, but since 2014 they have claimed three wins and two draws against the Wallabies. In this decade alone, the Pumas have claimed doubles over New Zealand, Australia, Wales and Scotland, along with a pre-World Cup upset of England.
It’s some achievement - given their squad is entirely based offshore - but one that doesn’t surprise. Argentina have made a tradition of upsetting the odds since becoming a fully-fledged member of the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) in 1987.
Locally they talk about la garra, which loosely translates as fighting spirit.
“Playing for the Pumas is something special,” a former international told me. “Every country has national pride but in Argentina, it’s something completely different.”
That has been evident in their giant steps on the international stage, even if Saturday might be a bridge too far.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics’, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
