Argentina vs France, Tucumán

[psychic duck]

Hinton doesn´t bother even getting into this at all and even says Contepomi is Argentina´s best player. In 2004 perhaps but not in 2012! He is like Jonny Wilkinson - still playing really well and could still lay claim to a starting spot in the test side. But this will just hold back the team, and this is what Contepomi has been foscused on - the team. Think about how good it has been for England to have Farrell given a shot. I am not sure seeing Contepomi, at 35, face Sonny Bill Williams would be all that good of a thing. He can still tackle, kick, run and pass but its one bite too many at the cherry. Above all else, Contepomi is a doctor himself and knows his limitations. Given the alternatives he is not crucial even though he is still playing well.

For 10 Argentina have Hernández who has, at last recovered and was 10 for Racing Métro this season. There is also Mieres who was a standout for Exeter. There is Nicolás Sánchez as a back up, he is also playing in France. Bosch cant be forgotten either.

For 12 Argentina have Fernández and Rodríguez. Two guys who were 12 all season for Montpellier and Stade Français. I wish Hinton had named some of these players. Of course, doing so would tear apart his argument.

How would Contepomi hold back the team? I don't understand the logic, how would the Rodríguez, Fernández and Bosch missing out to him do any harm to the team? It wouldn't.

Also Nicolás Sánchez and Marcelo Bosch have nowhere near been playing as well as Contepomi, who is on better form than all those options named and had a very good first two games of the June series.

Pichot along with the Hernández of 2005-07 has always been Argentina's best back by the way through most of the 2000's, and Contepomi for 2008-11 period when Hernández has been perma-crocked.

While the UAR is a highly problematic organization it is really doing well with the test players abroad. Again, Hinton makes no mention of this. There will, without doubt, be future occurances of players maybe needing to choose club or country. Two examples are Horacio Aguilla and Manuel Carizza. Horacio Agulla was released by Leicester. But, rivals, Bath are about to confirm his signature. Carizza has been released by Biarritz who were not happy with him playing in TRC. He will go into the PladAR system as he has gone for country over club. The point is that now there is something to fall backon as there are 10 players already under well paid deals with the UAR to stay in Argentina and be professionals. It is, btw, the start of what will be a Super Rugby team.

No it is not "doing really well", I don't call being forced to name an absolutely pants side that got trounced by France and now made the Pumas drop to eighth in the rankings "doing really well".

Also Carizza's name is still circling around the Scarlets a bit, see the Transfer Rumour Mill thread.

It does seem a shame that Contepomi won't play in the first Rugby Championship. Out of all the players in Argentina, I think he's certainly one of the most deserving to make that milestone, even if it is at 35 years old.

Exactly, Contepomi representing the Pumas in the inaugural 4 Nations would be a great finish to his Pumas career.

 

[Melhor Time]

Contepomi holding back the team is, in his words, down to him being aged and Argentina needing to move forward. Fernández being the guy for 12 with an eye to the future.

Incidently, a reliable source tells me Martín Rodripguez Gurruchaga is being prepared to be Argentina´s 13 this year.

No it is not "doing really well", I don't call being forced to name an absolutely pants side that got trounced by France and now made the Pumas drop to eighth in the rankings "doing really well".

Please don´t put words in my mouth.

 

[luchito]

No it is not "doing really well", I don't call being forced to name an absolutely pants side that got trounced by France and now made the Pumas drop to eighth in the rankings "doing really well".

You are being too harsh on the UAR in this aspect. The European clubs force the players to rest but they would have rested anyway if this arrangement didn't exist. Most of them haven't take a break in more than a year. They went straight from the World Cup to their clubs so more than a month of vacation for them seems right. Now we play every year a tournament which is more competitive and physically exhausting than a World Cup so they need to have fresh legs for it.

The downside is clearly not see some of the Euro players who didn't have many minutes like Bustos, Sanchez, Galindo, etc. Also the June matches will be used to see and evaluate new players so some embarrassing results against top nations will occur.

We need to maintain solid relationships with the European clubs. Our local players do not have first class competition, so if we want them to develop as "top" players, we need them to emigrate. The Pladar system is a great advance for Argentina but it is not enough. Super Rugby sides recruiting Argie players will be ideal because of calendar purposes but that market is closed for now. Having a Super Rugby franchise is still a long shot because of trips and time zones. So we need to give Euro clubs incentives to recruit our players.

 

[psychic duck]

While the UAR is a highly problematic organization it is really doing well with the test players abroad.

Please don´t put words in my mouth.

I didn't, I read this quote that the UAR is doing "really well with the test players abroad", and assumed you meant they have organised a good arrangement with the European clubs, did you mean something else?

You are being too harsh on the UAR in this aspect. The European clubs force the players to rest but they would have rested anyway if this arrangement didn't exist. Most of them haven't take a break in more than a year. They went straight from the World Cup to their clubs so more than a month of vacation for them seems right. Now we play every year a tournament which is more competitive and physically exhausting than a World Cup so they need to have fresh legs for it.

The downside is clearly not see some of the Euro players who didn't have many minutes like Bustos, Sanchez, Galindo, etc. Also the June matches will be used to see and evaluate new players so some embarrassing results against top nations will occur.

We need to maintain solid relationships with the European clubs. Our local players do not have first class competition, so if we want them to develop as "top" players, we need them to emigrate. The Pladar system is a great advance for Argentina but it is not enough. Super Rugby sides recruiting Argie players will be ideal because of calendar purposes but that market is closed for now. Having a Super Rugby franchise is still a long shot because of trips and time zones. So we need to give Euro clubs incentives to recruit our players.

You make the point yourself there, the current arrangement seems so inflexible regarding players, whilst somebody like Agulla, Leguizamon and Rodríguez have played all season for their clubs and in the World Cup for Argentina, there are others like Vergallo (getting hardly any game time for Toulouse), Bustos (second choice behind Jgenti at Montpellier), Figallo and Fernández Lobbe (only returned for the final month or so of the season) who should be able to be to play in the June matches

I don't see any reason at all why a player in Vergallo's circumstance shouldn't be able to play in these matches, thus showing the reason why the arrangement is too rigid and not flexible enough for common sense.

 

[ZeFrenchy]