Argentina - The Pumas

Team Preview

Coach:
Marcelo Loffreda

Previous World Cups:
1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003

Best Performance:
Quarter-Finals 1999

Played:
18 - 6 wins, 12 losses

World Ranking:
No.6

Fixtures:
v France, Saint-Denis, September 7
v Georgia, Lyon, September 11
v Namibia, Marseille, September 22
v Ireland, Paris, September 30

Facts:
1. Argentina is the only tier-one nation not to take part in an annual competition like the Six Nations or the Tri-Nations.
2. Argentina made its first overseas tour in 1965 when it went to South Africa.
3. Its best finish in a World Cup came in 1999 when it made the last eight.
4. Coach Marcelo Loffreda will leave his post after the tournament to take over at Leicester Tigers.
5. The team was nicknamed the Pumas after a mistake in identifying the animal on their national crest, which actually shows a jaguar.

Key Players:

AGUSTIN PICHOT
Agustin Pichot is the figurehead of the side, an experienced operator and one of the most prominent halfbacks of the past decade.

Afforded the luxury of operating behind a pack that rarely takes a backward step, he is the Pumas' general who shares the playmaking duties with Contepomi.

His delivery may not be the fastest or most accurate in the world but he possesses a keen eye for gaps, the reflexes to exploit them and thrives in big-match situations.

In the past he has been criticised for being too ambitious with the ball in hand, pausing to look up for the opening and then spinning wide if none appears, robbing his backline of precious moments to weave their own magic.

But as he enters the twilight of his career - he will be 33 by the time the World Cup begins - the number of tap-and-goes from penalties and breaks have decreased.

FELIPE CONTEPOMI
Pichot may be the talisman but if Argentina are to progress in the tournament - and they would not look out of their depth in the semi-finals - then Contepomi needs to fire.

Some rate Contepomi as the second best No.10 in the world behind All Blacks golden boy Dan Carter, and there is no doubt he is an outrageously gifted player.

Fans at Bristol and Leinster have seen him single-handedly win games with his boot and vision.

His man-of-the-match display for Leinster in last year's stunning Heineken Cup victory in Toulouse showcased his devastating array of attacking skills.

A seasoned campaigner and key decision-maker, Contepomi's greatest shortcoming is his temperament.

Anyone who witnessed the high of his stellar display in Toulouse could only look away in horror as he wilted against Munster in the semi-finals, visibly struggling behind a back-pedalling pack.

JUAN MANUEL LEGUIZAMON
The World Cup could see the birth of a new star in No.8 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, a player known as 'Spaniard' after Russell Crowe's character in the film 'Gladiator'.

Leguizamon was signed by London Irish as a result of his astonishing performance in the Lions' warm-up Test against Argentina before their 2005 tour to New Zealand.

The 24-year-old was still an amateur playing for the San Isidro club in Buenos Aires until the Exiles gave him his chance in the Guinness Premiership.

Although still a little rough around the edges, his raw power, athleticism and tireless work-rate has seen him develop into a block-busting back row who has yet to realise his full potential.

Positional switches have hindered his progress but his man-of-the-match display against Italy in June is evidence of a player who is beginning to blossom at the highest level.

IGNACIO CORLETO
While Leguizamon bristles with unfulfilled potential, fullback Ignacio Corleto is a Pumas veteran who will be appearing in his third World Cup.

Corleto has a safe pair of hands in the No.15 jersey, is secure under the high ball and is an accomplished kicker with a rock-solid defensive game.

But the Stade Francais flyer, who played a key role in the French club's successive championship triumphs in 2003 and 2004, also boasts an array of attacking skills.