The future of Los Pumas at a crossroads

Roar Rookie

10th October, 2013

1306 Reads

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What can the four teams participating take away from the 2015 Rugby Championship? (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Santiago Bardi

Roar Rookie

10th October, 2013

1306 Reads

Santiago Phelan will formally fulfil his contract, that ceases with the November tour this year, but in reality his term as Los Pumas head coach has ceased.

Phelan and his staff are leaving our side in 10th place on the IRB rankings, having taken them at third place at the end of 2007.

At that point the Pumas had obtained the bronze medal at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and were playing in an impressive fasion, having twice beaten hosts France, and also Ireland.

Since then the stats read: 13 wins, 31 losses and one draw from 45 matches.

These numbers can be tricky, given that they include 13 matches against the top three IRB-ranked teams – a tough task that we were not used to facing.

Victories were recorded against Italy (three times), Scotland (three times), Georgia (twice), England, France (twice), Wales and Romania (I´m not taking into account matches against South American countries, because they rank very low in the IRB rankings).

The figures are clearly not good but the issues that really concern me are:

The staff are leaving a group of players, not a team. I feel (as a rugby fan) there is no solid group in Los Pumas. Comparisons are not good, but there are no clear leaders on the field, as there used to be in Mario Ledesma, Augustín Pichot, Felipe Contepomi, Rodrigo Roncero or even Carlos Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe.
During these six years I haven´t seen a definition about the style of the game plan developed on the field. If you asked me what kind of rugby Los Pumas were playing, I wouldn´t have the answer. A good scrum and a tough defense are necessary but not enough.
The link between forwards and backs was not established despite having had a powerful weapon in our scrummaging. We still are playing a ‘unidimensional’ 10-man game, unacceptable today to have any chance of success against the top teams.
Lack of depth in the backbone of the squad. We failed in the development of solid players at the 2, 9 and 15 positions. And we have a tendency to ‘stretch’ the age of retirement of our good players.
The problem is while we try to enjoy some more games from our formers ‘stars’ the emerging players can not consolidate themselves as a viable option, losing all the energy that youth can provide and the experience they can grab. The result is the younger brigade arrive at the next Rugby World Cup with very few caps.
The current group of players will average almost 30 years by 2015, so the next coach will have to work fast and well to get the replacements we need to be competitive in the next Rugby World Cup.
In Argentina we are talking about a foreign coach to take office, but in my view this is rubbish. Graham Henry is for sure a great coach but the effective impact of an experienced foreign coach in our current structure would be youth level were you can obtain significant improvement in results. At senior level the ‘window of learning’ is almost shut or very narrowly opened. I think we can not afford to invest in training ‘basic skills’ for 30-year-old players; time and money should be invested in the next generation.

Having said this and with the next Rugby World Cup very close, producing a competitive team in less than two years is almost a religious matter!

But there is one thing that allows me to dream, dream in having a competitive team as it was in 2007 to challenge the world’s main powers.

That is the performance of our under-20 ‘Puma Cubs’ – both the players and coaching staff. We need the shot of aggressiveness that an influx of these ‘Puma Cubs’ can provide.

Coaches Bernardo Urdaneta and Rodolfo Ambrosio have produced an impressive team regarding results, game plan and leadership.

I love the way they play, the way they face up against the main teams. They conduct themselves as protagonists, not underdogs looking at being the surprise of the tournament!

Pablo Matera, now a Leicester Tiger, is an outstanding flanker and is the emblematic representative of this new generation.

Santiago Cordero (RB Vista URBA), Patricio Fernandez (JC Rosario), Facundo Isa (Toulon), Juan Cruz Guillemain (Stade Francais, Matias Diaz (new Highlander) and Tomas Lavanini (Chiefs Academy) will follow.

At the under-20 Rugby World Cup the team recorded wins against Scotland, Samoa, and Australia, lost by five against eventual runners-up Wales, lost by three against France and had previously defeated South Africa twice in lead-up friendlies.

This came off the back of their 2012 performance where they defeated France, Scotland and Australia.

Yes, they are young but a lot of our great players have made their debut in the national squad between the age of 20 and 22, so the age of the ‘kids’ is not an excuse now.

My hope is that the UAR give these ‘Puma Cubs’ and their coaches an opportunity in our senior squad.

Having been so conservative the last six years. this might represent dangerous waters for the UAR bosses but having seen the results so far is a gamble worth considering.

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