Argentina have been showing oscillations that prevent the generation of a sustainable gameplan.
During their July European tour, they had largely surpassed Romania, but showed the characteristic rust of a lack of interaction.
The next matches, against Wales, ended in draws and wins but consolidated a gameplan that would be deployed without better results in the Rugby Championship.
Using a 1-3-3-1 attack, it was essential to maintain possession, guarantee high-quality ball, and ensure the best decision-making, even in defence – nothing an orderly and disciplined team could not do.
But Argentina couldn’t consistnently score points (10 per Test) with the tries per visit to the opposition’s 22 ratio dropping to 14 per cent after scoring 32 per cent during the European tour.
Los Pumas continue to be dangerously predictable.
The relationship between the number of times Argentina enters the opponent’s 22 and the number of tries or points scored on those occasions shows difficulties in both the ability to score points, as well as the frequency and difficulty with which the opponent’s 22 is entered.
Flattening of the game can also be seen in the poor results produced by the structure of attack and the scarce amount of variations introduced to dismantle the defence or induce error.
Beyond the second or third phase, it is advisable to insert variation, but – as we can see in the below video against France – Argentina multiplies their sequences until their attack opportunities are exhausted. Possession is prioritised, disregarding territorial gain.
They still do not stand at the breakdown. Since Tri Nations 2020, they have kept losing participation in the breakdown effectiveness ratio of rucks won vs rucks lost.
Mario Ledesma’s strategy of assigning key positions to men who have not played naturally in that position sees Santiago Carreras as a game driver, which is just one chapter of a novel that began in the middle of the last World Cup, when an attempt was made to replace Nicolás Sanchez with Jerónimo de la Fuente at 10, when the latter had no experience in the position.
This situation removes cohesion by eliminating internal competition focused on positions, as verified by the moderate performances of the players.
Pundit
Roar Guru
Their most successful period was with Cubelli at 9 and Sanchez at 10-that NZL game. Cubelli is still quite good, not world class tho
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello West ...! Your snapshot about the 2021 cycle of Los Pumas is according to what happened. Only many events should never have happened: they showed us to the world as a youth team on their first tour through oceania. Perhaps we can remedy this misstep during 2022, as it is what we need to get to #RWC2023 in better condition and with a better defined style of play.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello Pundit ...! We all perceive a desire for experimentation in the Head Coach. This intention is not bad, but the radical changes to observe must necessarily in the parts that do not work properly. I think that at this point the methodology should be reversed, since non-essential experimental changes could affect the degrees of cohesion of the group. In this link you can see the variations in the ARG creative axis from 2019 to 2021: https://bit.ly/31LVOgR. Visually it will surprise you.
Pundit
Roar Guru
Argentina have played about 9 games, have lost 6. 3 wins, two solid ones against top opposition in Wales(who in my opinion should be 5/6/7) and then 6 straight losses in the RC. The SH sides of Aus, RSA, and NZL are like the Big 3 of rugby at the moment, just like how the bIg 6 was in the EPL. Should Argentina join the 6N, they would beat Italy at least, but he other 5-well, I’m not too sure. Miotti at FB? Two power centres- de la fuente and Chocabares, a complete package 10 in sanchez and quick ball of cubelli. Power play off 10, can they shift the point of focus?
Pundit
Roar Guru
Sanchez is the man. Great player, was brilliant last year but his form slipped without ball and the attempt to attack-crash-kick pattern. I saw Carreras play last year- i thought his distribution wasn’t great. Will Jordan made two intercepts off him, but he isn’t a great option-taker, and they didn’t give him much protection from the pressure. I think Sanchez would have created those two tries instead of gifting them. Carreras is not a bad player, but simply not a flyhalf.
Pundit
Roar Guru
QC doesn’t have hard fast balls, though he is capable of it. He just keeps picking the right option, and giving optimal distribution. Good for 1-3-2-2. i recall the last few sides that used 1-3-3-1. Allister Coetzee Boks-lost 57-0 against All Blacks 2019 ABs-lost in SF to England 2019 Wallabies-knocked out in QF This is not to blame the 1-3-3-1. While it is made of dynamic attacking play, it’s built on heavy power plays and it cannot be the only structure. The Boks have the biggest pack ever, so they can go 2-2-2-2, though i doubt any other team would use that for crashing up, tho Eddie Jones Japan used it for expansive rugby. I think it’s a good system, but can get easily worked out due to the easily recognisable shape of 3-pods and the playmakers. They should try 2-2-2-2, use Sanchez as a distributor. They don’t have the quality of the second playmaker for 1-3-3-1 or 1-3-2-2. Playing 2-pass phases can be a bit toiling, but once again i stress the quality of pass and the option-taking of Sanchez is up there with the likes of Pollard, Biggar, Finn, Mo’unga-basically the best in the world.
WEST
Roar Guru
It was weird this year.. From the photo snubbing to the border crossing incident.. Just wasn’t the Pumas year. The team never looked liked getting out of first gear? We’ve all seen what they can do! They’ve now beaten all the teams in the Rugby Championship. They’ve beaten the Boks in 2018-2016-2015 Wallabies in 2018 two draws in 2020. That amazing first win over the All Blacks.. hardly fired a shot this year.. But they did start to play well against France. I know they’re a talented team, they have skills to beat any team. It’s just a matter of flush this season, regroup next year and start to build again. Get their set piece weaponised, attack the rucks. Maintain discipline within their defense, start to control their structure again. Get the fire and the passion back. Can’t see Argentina being down for long
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello Pundit ...! I read your article about the RSA kicking game and it is a 100% disruptive tool in the game, especially the high kicks and the backfield. These same considerations apply to the game of Los Pumas. In my opinion, the 1-3-3-1 structure would be exhausted as pods fail to generate inertia. On the other hand, a more agile structure like the one you suggest could give us more space to insert the variants in semi-attacks.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello NoBrain ...! You are right. One of the most dangerous wingers in the English Premiership becomes our experimental flyhalf. Miotti has a spectacular kick, delicious in my opinion, as does Joaquín Diaz Bonilla (now Kolisi's partner in Sharks, RSA). But none of them cover a broad spectrum, so we should go to the right man for the specific game until we develop what we need. I am convinced that the best teams focus their structure on a better resolution of the breakdown and for this the best physical and mental aptitude is required to achieve speed and precision in decision-making.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Carreras at ten is a mistake imo, just taking a look of the names that play 10 in the nations of Tier 1 it is criminal to place a player in that crucial position who is not playing 10 in his club. You may be able to do that in the back three but not at ten. Miotti is not the best out there but has more experience than Santiago. Then you have Pato Fernandez and Urdapilleta that can fit those shoes. If you don not have a good ten you must create your attacking game from elsewhere, but you must be creative . LP players get too tired defending that have no energy to attack. With Hourcade was the other way around trying to make so many phases that when you lost the ball the players had too tired legs to defend. Los Pumas is not a place to make experiments.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hi Rusty ...! If you read a rugby group from Argentina on facebook or an internet forum, you would see how temperamentally we Argentines are. The head of Ledesma and all the technical staff are being called for, and the immediate hiring of Gonzalo Quesada (current Stade Francais). I don't think it's the way, but I don't like the process that leads us to # RWC2023. I think that the game plan does not adapt to the skills developed in the players by the staff: the playing styles must be sustainable and developable in time and skills throughout the 80 minutes.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello Hazel Nutt ...! In my opinion, Ledesma's offensive game plan is a revival of Michael Cheika's Warathas, but with profound difficulties generating depth and territorial gain from the semi-attack.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hi Highlander, how are you …! Timely your approach: if we need to vary a game plan or design a newer one, we probably need to intensify some skills that we had not intensified until now. But I think the real challenge is to improve decision making. In the video analysis of the article, we see that Julián Montoya receives the ball without too much depth to lift speed and crash. He receives static and almost immobile, but instead of quickly turning the game towards the open side between midfield and the 5M line he decides to retake the center of the field and extinguishes any possibility of inserting a variant or a disruption. I mean this type of decision-making: those that involve the possibility of confusing and defeating the defender.
Pundit
Roar Guru
Cheers FR. Love your youtube analysis-it's really great. I think their attack is okay, the problem is the decision-making. Cubelli has quick ball, and he did see opportunity. If Carreras(10) ran the pocket line on that phase, it would have been good. Also, the last bit where they decided to bomb it into the 22, was a mega-mistake. There was an overlap, and a wide pass or a flat grubber would have done the trick. I don't think Carreras is a bad player, he's a promising talent, and the mistake he made was committed by Pollard and Biggar(but to be fair the kicking structure killed any passing for the two playmakers). Sanchez is good, just needs to have a more creative structure. 1-3-2-2, or 1-3-3-1 with the playmakers playing through the two 3-pods, like how the Boks like to: https://imgur.com/lWad1y6
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Hello WAE ...! I am convinced that there is a damaged internal mechanism but that the need to maintain silence, composure and a certain appearance of order prevent a solution. The sporadic presence of Juan Imhoff, one of the most effective wingers on the planet, is undoubtedly linked to this. I hope that it is not time but actions that give us another perspective and we know how to correct the model.
West Aussie Exile
Roar Rookie
Thanks Francisco, A real confusing game plan (s) as you say. I have a soft spot for Argentina also, I love their passion and supporters and want them to do well -however, Ledesma is not getting the best out of the team. I think it's a shame that they've lost their set piece dominance, their scrum used to be a highlight and now they get dominated. When they played well they had forwards punching holes and off loads as a result. It seems the players are there, looking at Argentina XV players and those in MLR - the selection and coaching needs to get the best out of them
Highlander
Roar Guru
Thanks for that Francsico Have a real soft spot for the Pumas but this year they have disappointed to a level of frustration. Really cant see what it is the coach is trying to do, caught between 2 game plans of you like and neither working. The flat 14 ine, tackle like anything has been taken away by 3 sec ruck speed and not only did they not adjust in defence, they didnt use that same change to their own advantage, because they have the players wider out to have a go. Same inaccuracy and discipline issues in the 8 that they have had for ages. In short, the game plan doesnt fit the squad they have
Rusty
Roar Guru
Thanks for this article - after last years heroics, Argentina's performances this year have been a bit of head scratcher. Is it personnel? or is it the game plan?
Hazel Nutt
Roar Rookie
I'm a bit unclear as to what his gameplan seeks to achieve. Perhaps crash or crash through? I suspect he or his staff are stronger defensive coaches than attacking coaches.
Darling
Guest
Ledesma is bad head coach