Former Argentina flanker Santiago Phelan has the tough task of carrying the Pumas beyond their brilliant third place at the 2007 World Cup following his appointment as coach.

Phelan (34) at the end of the month, succeeds Marcelo Loffreda, who took charge of English club Leicester in November after making his name as Argentina's most successful coach at the World Cup in France.

Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) president Porfirio Carreras made the announcement at a news conference last night where he said former Pumas centre Fabian Turnes would be Phelan's assistant.

"This is the start of a new cycle, preceded by one which wrote a glorious page in rugby, not only due to the third place but also because of the [team's] image," Carreras said.

Phelan, a contemporary of the senior Pumas who helped Argentina on their remarkable in October, said he had received their support for his appointment.

His first outing will be in June in the two-test series at home to Scotland.

"I'm grateful to the players for their backing," said Phelan,

"I know them and how they think but as trainer I'll have to keep a distance while we work together to keep adding necessary things to the Argentine team," he said.

Phelan, a flanker who made 46 international appearances between 1997 and his second World Cup in Australia in 2003 before retiring at 29 through injury, has limited coaching experience.

And he is one of the few leading Pumas of his generation not to play professionally abroad, spending his entire career with the CASI club in Buenos Aires.

However, he steered the Argentina A team to victory at the Nations Cup in Romania last year.