- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
On the eve of their participation in the Rugby Championship, the Pumas have taken a giant leap toward becoming a rugby power by securing the services of former All Blacks World Cup winning coach Graham Henry.
Henry has been appointed as a Technical Consultant by the UAR in a move that one hopes will pay dividends for rugby in Argentina, both on and off the field.
After making the quarter-finals of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the Pumas enter the most important stage in their history as a top tier rugby nation as they participate in the annual Rugby Championship beginning in August.
Playing against superpowers the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks on a regular basis will undoubtedly help Argentina improve their level of play on the paddock.
In Henry, the Pumas now possess a mind that may increase Argentina’s chances of perhaps winning a couple of matches in the Rugby Championship.
However, Henry’s contract with the UAR only lasts one year so the Pumas will do well to get the most out of the World Cup winning coach.
The great thing about Henry’s appointment revolves around the fact that the Pumas finally possess a member of the coaching staff who has managed the greatest rugby nation on the planet.
Fresh from winning a World Cup with the All Blacks, Henry’s inside knowledge on New Zealand’s style of play will undoubtedly benefit Pumas head coach Santiago Phelan.
Although Argentina did well to keep the All Blacks try less for over 60 minutes in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, the Pumas remained firmly under the pump for the majority of the contest and will need to learn to maintain an even amount of possession if they are a chance of defeating the men in black.
As a technical consultant, Henry’s main role will be to improve Argentina’s coaching and planning whilst also setting up a nation wide program that will help the Pumas become a more competitive outfit on the world stage.
In regards to coaching, one of the main areas the Pumas need improvement in is in their line-out play.
Against the All Blacks last year, Argentina lost possession on their own line-out on numerous occasions, thus crippling their ability to build pressure against the Kiwis.
If Henry can encourage Argentina’s coaches to improve key technical aspects such as line-out play, it will further strengthen the Pumas chances of perhaps leaving a solid impression in their first ever outing in the Rugby Championship.