Standing in Argentina’s way will be defending world champions New Zealand. While the Pumas recently added the Springboks to their list of scalps, the All Blacks remain the one side against whom the South Americans have not yet tasted victory.
“If we don’t believe we can beat them, what’s the point of playing?” reasoned Argentina back-rower Juan Martin Lobbe when sitting down for an interview with The Portugal News.
Despite a gruelling two-and-a-half hour training session in Vilamoura over the weekend, which included a full-contact but injury-free workout against Portuguese club Direito, the loose forward walked off the pitch not even appearing to have broken a sweat.
Lobbe is accustomed to success, having lined up for European champion club Toulon in recent years, but says defeat to Richie McCaw’s men this Sunday at Wembley will still leave the Pumas in with a chance of at least matching their previous best performance at a World Cup.
Admitting that besides New Zealand, Argentina’s qualifying group is among the more accessible, with the likes of Tonga, Georgia and Namibia making up the numbers, Lobbe says second place and qualification for the quarter-finals is the team’s first objective and believes the team is not far off from once again being the tournament’s surprise package.
“If we get through to the knock-out stages, we will not have to immediately face a Southern Hemisphere team”, he argues, with either Ireland or France the likely opponents, though these two Six Nations sides will obviously be looking for Lobbe to regret those words.
But Argentina have taken a liking to France over the years, beating them five out of their last nine meetings, including a victory last autumn in Paris.
After a three-match winning streak against Ireland, including a win at the 2007 World Cup, the Irish have since won five in a row, though Argentina’s unpredictably and superb pack always leave them in with a shout against any opponents, as both Australia and South Africa have experienced in the past two seasons.
Similarly, Argentina coach Daniel Hourcade believes the squad’s preparation in the Algarve has served as the “perfect platform” to rattle the elite of world rugby.
Speaking in Portuguese, which he learned here during his time as coach of Sevens team and Direito, as well as being assistant manager for Portugal during the 2007 World Cup, Hourcade believes his squad of 31 players are in the best shape possible after a stress-free week in the Algarve.
“We have been able to focus on the enormous task that lies ahead without influences from the outside, and allowed this young team to bond with the more experienced players”, he explained.
While Argentina boast some big names on the world stage such as Lobbe, Juan Martin Hernandez and Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 22 of the squad play their rugby in the little known Argentine First Division.
“My plan for Argentina rugby extends beyond the current World Cup, and while we are aiming high, I expect the youngsters coming through now to be a real force to be reckoned with by the time we arrive at the next World Cup in four years from now.”