RUGBY: GERRY THORNLEYon how after yet another enforced period of rebuilding, tomorrow's dogged visitors appear to be once again on an upward curve

THE OLD sniffiness towards Argentina, a relative poor relation of the game’s elite and still with no regular place at the top table, ought to have ceased by now, at least on the pitch. They may be in one of their mid-World Cup cycle re-building phases, with a whole host of factors stacked against them, but once again they appear to be gathering momentum again and are on the upward part of their J-curve.

Only nine of the 30-man World Cup squad that helped them reach an historic semi-final and third place were included in the 31-man squad for this tour, and all of them are in the starting line-up to face Ireland. On top of this, the coach who oversaw their last two World Cups, Marcelo Lofreda, has moved on to be replaced by their former blindside flanker Santiago Phelan, who was on the Pumas team which beat Ireland in Lens.

Since the World Cup, they have won just six of their 17 Tests. Their style has not moved on, and the changed emphasis in the laws could almost have been designed with them specifically in mind, especially as the country who brought aerial ping-pong back into vogue at the last World Cup.

They have scored just 11 tries in their last 15 Tests.

Last week Sean Fitzpatrick likened the best side in the world, New Zealand, to a club side, so often do they train and play together. This year alone they have played 13 Tests. Hence, perhaps the key figure is not so much the six wins since the last World Cup, as the fact that – with no annual competition to play in – they have played only 17 tests.

In that time, Ireland have played 30.

Argentina reached a high of third in the world after the last World Cup almost in spite of the IRB ranking system, and inevitably, have since slipped to eighth because of it.

“The Pumas team is going up but it is difficult for us,” said Phelan on Thursday after a light-hearted game of football on their down day, “because for us, we have only six games a year. We play three games in June and three in November, after five months without seeing us together all around the world in different clubs.

“But I think that every time together we are improving. We try to play better rugby and what’s good about the team is that when they come in they give 100 per cent because they are happy and proud to play for Argentina.”

It was ever thus.

On this tour, they regard last week’s 15-9 loss to France as a superior performance to their 22-16 win in Italy, clearly believing their best is still to come tomorrow.

“We won in Italy but we didn’t play well that game,” admits Phelan, “but we improved a lot our game in France. We lost a close game but we played better and we are happy that we are going up in our level or rugby and we are hoping to do better against Ireland.

“We know Ireland is an excellent team so we need to have confidence that we are going up, going up, and every week we have together for us is very important, and this week we are trying to get to our best level.”

The mantra coming from their camp has been to gain, and keep, more of the ball.

“We know that the retention of the ball is very, very important. We know Ireland have a very good lineout and they play a lot off their lineout and also have very good backs and a good pack of forwards. So we are trying to have the ball and go forward every time we have the ball to get our dynamic game, for us to try and score more points.”

For Phelan, following on from Lofreda was a tough act, all the more so with the likes of Agustin Pichot, Martin Durand, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Rimas Alvarez, Gonzalo Longo and Ignacio Corleto all moving on.

“After the World Cup it was difficult to start building a new team after losing some experienced players. But we are going okay. We have a lot of new players but also some experienced players. So the mix can make the team good. It’s okay. It’s a difficult job but I’m very proud to be the coach of Argentina.”

Argentina’s record against European opposition has been especially impressive. Despite two home defeats to Scotland in the summer, they have won eight of the countries’ last 11 meetings, dating back to 1994.

They have beaten Wales in four meetings out of the last six since the turn of the Millennium, three of their last six against England, five of their last 10 against Ireland, seven of their last nine against Italy and, most impressively of all, despite last weekend’s defeat in Montpellier, have beaten France in seven of their last 10 meetings.

The difference with them at the World Cup in 2007 was mostly provided by Juan Martin Hernandez, who gave them their X Factor, if also making the up-and-under and kick-pong de rigeur, as well as opting for drop goals at almost every available opportunity (he landed three against Ireland).

However, having originally been named in their 31-man squad, the 28 year-old, 32-times capped outhalf – known as El Mago (the magician) – had not fully recovered from a right leg strain he suffered playing for his French club Racing-Metro against La Rochelle on September 11th.

In truth, the unfortunate Hernandez has barely played in the past year, having failed to appear for Super 14 side the Sharks because of a back injury and then suffering the leg injury just a fortnight after returning to action, while at Racing-Metro, head coach Pierre Berbizier appears not to trust him at his preferred outhalf, and he has been used as something of a luxury item off the bench.

Argentina were dealt a further blow when their ex-London Irish loose forward, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, was banned for 80 days for making contact with the eye region of Toulouse counterpart Jean Bouilhou in a Top 14 game with Stade Français, sidelining him until early December.

However, even without Hernandez, they still have a little magic in the boots and hands of Felipe Contepomi, who almost single-handedly picked up Los Pumas spirits last summer. After two desultory, mud-wrestling defeats at home to Scotland, Contepomi scored two of his side’s four tries and 31 of their points in a resounding 41-13 thrashing of France in Buenos Aires.

“I think we can find a lot of reasons for our bad performances against Scotland,” says Contepomi.

“I think we struggled to adapt to the new rules because we didn’t have a lot of time together. The strategy we were trying to use was new for many players and I think against Scotland we were more worried about the technique than what matters in rugby, which is winning your one-on-one battles in the contact area. Then against France it just clicked, we played with much more physicality and cut down the errors. It was make or break for us because we were under a lot of pressure.”

The problem for Argentina is that after the 2011 World Cup they join the Tri-Nations, and while it makes utter sense, given their geographic location, for that tournament to be expanded rather than the Six Nations, it remains the case that all bar two of today’s starting line-up and four of their 22-man match day squad are based full-time in Europe.

As Clermont’s recent signing of Agustin Creevy as understudy and long-term replacement for the remarkable Mario Ledesma underlines, French rugby remains their best ally.

One of the prerequisites for Argentina to join the Tri-Nations was for the top Argentine players to start re-locating to teams in the Southern Hemisphere, but that shows no signs of happening thus far and it seems unlikely they will be accommodated in the comparatively closed markets in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.

“The biggest problem is that we don’t have a professional structure yet in Argentina,” admits Contepomi.

“Maybe once we join the Tri-Nations some players can play in South Africa or Australia or New Zealand or two Argentinian franchises can play in Super Rugby. I’m not sure how it will go, but it would definitely be better if Argentine players can go to the south and develop there. The best would be for Pumas to play in Argentina.”

Contepomi will be nearly 34 by the time Los Pumas enter the Tri-Nations, and though he still has another two seasons on his lucrative contract with Toulon, does not sound too optimistic about being around then, preferring to focus no further than on what would be a fourth World Cup.

“I don’t know. To be honest, my goal for now is to have a good year with Toulon and make the World Cup team. We’ll see if I’m still fit enough to play international rugby, but I’ll have to talk to the family. If I feel I’m up to it would be a great experience – it’s history for Argentinian rugby.

Through a Lens darkly. . .

October 20th, 1999, quarter-final play-off, Stade Felix Bolaerti.

ARGENTINA 28 IRELAND 24

Mention the name Lens and it still sends a shiver up the collective spine of Irish rugby, with this defeat regarded as something of a nadir, which perhaps says as much about a lack of respect for Argentinian rugby.

Ireland had most of the possession and territory in a stop-start game dominated by Stuart Dickins's whistle (the penalty count was 17-16 to the Pumas) but despite landing seven penalties from seven, David Humphreys shaved the upright with two drop goal attempts and struck one with another as Ireland failed to pull away.

Behind for all but five of the previous 73 minutes, Argentina led for the first time through a well-worked try by winger Diego Albacete, and withstood eight minutes of injury-time, including two 14-man lineouts and a procession of charges at their line, for a famous win.

IRELAND: O'Shea; Bishop, O'Driscoll, Maggs, Mostyn; Humphreys, Tierney; Corrigan, Wood, Wallace, Davidson, O'Kelly, Ward, Dawson, O'Cuinneagain.

Replacements: Casey for Davidson (61 mins). Fitzpatrick for Corrigan (71 mins). Not used: Nesdale, Bell, Elwood, O'Meara. Miller.

ARGENTINA: Corlello; Camardon, Simons, Arbizu, Albanese: Quesada, Pichot; Reggiardo, Ledesma Arocena, Hasan-Jalil, Fernandez-Lobbe, Allub, Phelan , Martin, Longo-Elia.

Replacements: F Contepomi for Corletto (68), Scelzo (or Hasan (52). Not used: M Contepomi, Fernandez-Miranda, Ostiglia, Ruiz, Canalda. Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia).

October 27th, 2003, pool match, Adelaide Oval

IRELAND 16 ARGENTINA 15

A diary marker for the previous 18 months, for much of the first hour Argentina were more purposeful, more composed and more penetrative, with Ireland gripped by fear. Ronan O'Gara's arrival for David Humphreys re-energised his side, with the Munster outhalf immediately putting some width on Ireland's previously limited desire to seemingly engage the Pumas in an arm-wrestle.

Eddie O'Sullivan had sacrificed an openside, Keith Gleeson, to accommodate Alan Quinlan in a bruising backrow and the latter would score the game's only try, dislocating his shoulder in the process, after Keith Wood had snaffled a loose tap down at the tail of an Argentinian lineout.

After a long-range drop goal by Ignacio Corleto, Ireland regained the lead through two O'Gara penalties but were clinging on after a Gonzalo Quesada penalty and relieved to see Girvan Dempsey hammer Jose Nunez Piossek into touch.

A long-range drop goal attempt by Ignacio Corletto drift fractionally wide.

IRELAND: G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, K Maggs, D Hickie; D Humphreys, P Stringer; R Corrigan, K Wood (capt), J Hayes, M O'Kelly, P O'Connell, S Easterby, A Quinlan, V Costello .

Replacements: E Miller (Leinster) for Quinlan (21 mins), M Horan (Munster) for Corrigan (17-22 mins and 57 mins), R O'Gara (Munster) for Humphreys (56 mins).

ARGENTINA: I Corleto; J M Nunez Piossek, J Orengo, F Contepomi, D Albanese; G Quesada, A Pichot (capt); R Grau, F Mendez, M Reggiardo, I Fernandez Lobbe, R Alvarez, L Ostiglia, G Longo, R Martin. Replacements: M Scelzo for Reggiardo (74 mins).

Referee: A Watson (South Africa).

September 30th, 2007, Pool match, Parc des Princes.

ARGENTINA 30 IRELAND 15

IRELAND came into this at a low ebb, seemingly devoid of energy or confidence after scraping past Namibia and, barely Georgia, before losing 25-3 to France, whereas a buoyant Argentina had put the other group sides to the sword, including France.

Thus, a victory always seemed beyond Ireland's grasp, much less the minor miracle (a win by more than seven including four tries) needed to qualify. Not for the first time, Ireland started with plenty of fire and fury, and later in the half a Brian O'Driscoll try briefly put them in front but a second Juan Martin Hernandez drop goal and a try by Horacio Agulla, augmenting a contender for try of the tournament by Lucas Borges, meant Argentina led 18-10 at half-time.

Despite a well-worked Geordan Murphy try, two Felipe Contepomi penalties and a third Juan Martin Hernandez drop-goal sealed Argentina's victory. Ireland went home, the after-shock lingering for about a year, while Los Pumas went on to finish third, thrashing France in the third place play-off.

ARGENTINA: Corleto; Borges, M Contepomi, F Contepomi, Agulla; Martin Hernandez, Pichot; Roncero, Ledesma, Scelzo, C. Fernandez Lobbe, Albacete, Ostiglia, J Fernandez Lobbe, Longo Elia.

Replacements: Basualdo, Hasan, Kairelis, Durand, Fernandez Miranda, Todeschini, Senillosa.

IRELAND: Murphy; Horgan, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Hickie; O'Gara, Reddan; Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Easterby, D Wallace, Leamy.

Replacements: R. Best, Young, O'Kelly, N Best, Boss, P Wallace, Duffy.

Referee: P Honiss (New Zealand).