Rugby Championship 2013, the preview

[Superalexmarket]

Just one month to the beginning of the RC, the toughest tournament of the year.
Regarding the Pumas had a month of hard physical training in High Performance Center in Pensacola, Florida.
They are now in Argentina, doing tactical and strategic practices, and trying to automate their game.
Personally I have a very bad feeling about this RC, I think the Pumas will lose all their games and badly. The fact that Australia recover their injured players, South Africa is stronger than last year, and the All Blacks are always the AB, significantly reduce the chances of at least one win for Argentina.I think this usually happens in second participation of teams in tournaments like this (Italy in 6N)
One debate in Arg is who should be the fly half: Juan Hernandez, Felipe Contepomi, Nicolas Sanchez or Santiago Fernandez?
I think it would be good to give an opportunity to Nico Sanchez, he did superb against Wales in November.
Well all about the incoming RC let's talk in here.

 

[Jaguares]

Just one month to the beginning of the RC, the toughest tournament of the year.
Regarding the Pumas had a month of hard physical training in High Performance Center in Pensacola, Florida.
They are now in Argentina, doing tactical and strategic practices, and trying to automate their game.
Personally I have a very bad feeling about this RC, I think the Pumas will lose all their games and badly. The fact that Australia recover their injured players, South Africa is stronger than last year, and the All Blacks are always the AB, significantly reduce the chances of at least one win for Argentina.I think this usually happens in second participation of teams in tournaments like this (Italy in 6N)
One debate in Arg is who should be the fly half: Juan Hernandez, Felipe Contepomi, Nicolas Sanchez or Santiago Fernandez?
I think it would be good to give an opportunity to Nico Sanchez, he did superb against Wales in November.
Well all about the incoming RC let's talk in here.

I think that the Argie players are too criticized in Argentina, people in Argentina simply can't accept that they aren't the best in this sport compared to football players. Rugby is much more intense and complicated than football, so that the fact that a nation is good at football doesn't mean that has to be good in rugby.


Regarding your question, it would be ideal for me:


10 Fernandez
12 Contepomi
15 Hernandez


Because Juan Hernandez always plays at fullback in Racing Metro, Contepomi must play 12 to be the first choice because he is well respected in international rugby and Fernandez must play 10, I really enjoyed last year, was a surprise. He has a good defense.

Regards

 

[psychic duck]

I think that the Argie players are too criticized in Argentina, people in Argentina simply can't accept that they aren't the best in this sport compared to football players. Rugby is much more intense and complicated than football, so that the fact that a nation is good at football doesn't mean that has to be good in rugby.

Odd post. Where has anyone ever claimed that being good at football means that a nation will be good at rugby?

Also Argentina are too gentle on their team. They are overly satisfied by merely good efforts by hard working but limited players, and the fact their RWC was seen as a success there and enough for Phelan to keep his job is good evidence of this.

 

[Jaguares]

Odd post. Where has anyone ever claimed that being good at football means that a nation will be good at rugby?

Also Argentina are too gentle on their team. They are overly satisfied by merely good efforts by hard working but limited players, and the fact their RWC was seen as a success there and enough for Phelan to keep his job is good evidence of this.

Many Argies I spoke, they think that The Pumas should be world power in rugby, because they are world power in football. But they are different sports, rugby is a sport much more demanding, training much harder and more intense. While football is softer, anyone who weighs 50 kg can be a professional footbal player, while it's crazy to think that a person weighing 50 kg can play high level rugby.

Depends, Argentines who play rugby and love rugby with passion, they support the team unconditionally. But Argentines who never played rugby and just look big rugby matches, despise the team and the sport. They think that rugby isn't competitive sport because it's played in fewer countries such as football.

Regards

 

[Big Ewis]

I hear you guys, but regardless of all that I'll be cheering for the Pumas. We haven't seen them since the big loss in Dublin, so this will be very exciting. I wonder where their scrum is at, what they can do on attack.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I hear you guys, but regardless of all that I'll be cheering for the Pumas. We haven't seen them since the big loss in Dublin, so this will be very exciting. I wonder where their scrum is at, what they can do on attack.

So you didn't watch them get smashed by England 2-zip during the B&I Lions tour?

 

[admartian]

How to beat the All Blacks/NZ teams - win lineout inside AB 22; PERSIST!!! with the rolling maul, score try. Rinse, repeat.


Seriously, we can't defend that **** (legally) for love nor money.

 

[Patchey]

So you didn't watch them get smashed by England 2-zip during the B&I Lions tour?

To be fair it was a fairly weakened Pumas side. I reckon their best change in the RC is against the Wallabies. New coach, some potential game changers missing, Quade Cooper back at 10 leaving a huge hole for forwards to run through.

 

[Superalexmarket]

Many Argies I spoke, they think that The Pumas should be world power in rugby, because they are world power in football. But they are different sports, rugby is a sport much more demanding, training much harder and more intense. While football is softer, anyone who weighs 50 kg can be a professional footbal player, while it's crazy to think that a person weighing 50 kg can play high level rugby.

Depends, Argentines who play rugby and love rugby with passion, they support the team unconditionally. But Argentines who never played rugby and just look big rugby matches, despise the team and the sport. They think that rugby isn't competitive sport because it's played in fewer countries such as football.

Regards

Firstly I want to tell you that no one could be a sucesfull football player with only 50 kg, would not last a week in professional football. For example, Messi has 1,67m and 67 kg. and Sergio Agüero 1,75m and 73 kg. both are the smallers players in the Argentine team, however are the most skilled and fasters, essential qualitys to be world class player.
Secondly no one says that Argentina should be a world power in Rugby, but it's true since the 90' s the Pumas increased their level until the great performance of 2007, and since that year their level has not done nothing more than fall, and that it´s the real concern, losing competitiveness wich is essential in a tournament like this. I support the Pumas in good and bad times,I go to the stadiums whenever I can and I travel a lot to see them play, and I don't expect they be a world power, just hope they have an honorable performance, according to its history.

 

[Big Ewis]

So you didn't watch them get smashed by England 2-zip during the B&I Lions tour?

I'm really very perplex as to what to say here.

 

[SomeOke]

I'd love to see the Puma's do well!



As long as it's not agaisnt the Boks . Anyway should be a very interesting RC, confidence in SA is high, but our "new" team is largely untested against top level opposition. NZ are about the same strength as last year (perhaps slightly weaker without McCaw and with a few positions being a tad uncertain like hooker and scrumhalf) and should dominate all their matches but both Aus and SA would love to steal a win at home, and Aus I would say will also be stronger.

I'd like to think it will be closer between the SANZAR nations but my head says NZ will dominate for at least another year.

 

[LittleGuy]

To be fair it was a fairly weakened Pumas side. I reckon their best change in the RC is against the Wallabies. New coach, some potential game changers missing, Quade Cooper back at 10 leaving a huge hole for forwards to run through.

There weren't very many TRC players at all in that lineup, Pumas had trouble getting French teams to release players for the comp/wanted to try out new players themselves. The results weren't encouraging but I agree with you that they shouldn't be read into too much. It's a very similar side to last year though with one or two big changes and a couple of fringe players switched. I think the Argies will have similar shots at wins as they did last year, OZ and SA at home should be the targets.

 

[Jaguares]

Firstly I want to tell you that no one could be a sucesfull football player with only 50 kg, would not last a week in professional football. For example, Messi has 1,67m and 67 kg. and Sergio Agüero 1,75m and 73 kg. both are the smallers players in the Argentine team, however are the most skilled and fasters, essential qualitys to be world class player.
Secondly no one says that Argentina should be a world power in Rugby, but it's true since the 90' s the Pumas increased their level until the great performance of 2007, and since that year their level has not done nothing more than fall, and that it´s the real concern, losing competitiveness wich is essential in a tournament like this. I support the Pumas in good and bad times,I go to the stadiums whenever I can and I travel a lot to see them play, and I don't expect they be a world power, just hope they have an honorable performance, according to its history.

It's an expression, 67 kg and 73 kg is still little. A person who is 1.65 m to play rugby at the highest level must not weigh less than 82 kg. There is no comparison between athletic preparation of a rugby player and a football player. A professional rugby player train many more hours, much harder and has a rigorous diet that a professional footballer.

In your post you wrote that Sergio Aguero has 1.75 m and 73 kg. For example: Leigh Halfpenny, a rugby player with a similar height, 1.78 m (only 3 cm more height) but he weighs 85 kg. 12 kg more weight but not fat, 12 kg more of muscle:

There is too much difference in physical training, sports aren't comparable. The athleticism of football is very low compared to the level of rugby training.

Regards

 

[Jaguares]

To be fair it was a fairly weakened Pumas side. I reckon their best change in the RC is against the Wallabies. New coach, some potential game changers missing, Quade Cooper back at 10 leaving a huge hole for forwards to run through.

Yeah, but Wallabies lost great players like James Horwill, Will Genia and James O'Connor last year. And they are major players also have new players from Rugby League as Israel Folau and Joe Tomane. Addition, best of Quade Cooper and Will Genia we have seen with Ewen McKenzie, they shared many years together in Reds and know a lot, so now we could see the best of them with new coach.

Regards

 

[LittleGuy]

It's an expression, 67 kg and 73 kg is still little. A person who is 1.65 m to play rugby at the highest level must not weigh less than 82 kg. There is no comparison between athletic preparation of a rugby player and a football player. A professional rugby player train many more hours, much harder and has a rigorous diet that a professional footballer.

In your post you wrote that Sergio Aguero has 1.75 m and 73 kg. For example: Leigh Halfpenny, a rugby player with a similar height, 1.78 m (only 3 cm more height) but he weighs 85 kg. 12 kg more weight but not fat, 12 kg more of muscle:

There is too much difference in physical training, sports aren't comparable. The athleticism of football is very low compared to the level of rugby training.

Regards

That would be a blob LOL!!! I'm 1.65 M and am reasonably stocky at 67 KG(a shade under 150 lbs.), Yanyushkin with the Russian National Team is positively jacked and he only weighs around 75 KG(170 lbs), there might be some short hookers around that might get up to that weight at that height, but there fitness would likely be crap, 82 KG(180 lbs.) is very large for a 1.65 M(5'5") tall man.

Diego Lamelas who was Uruguay's Hooker in the late 90's early-mid 00's(and was a bright spot in their RWC sides) was 1.68 M(5'6") and 90 KG(just under 200 lbs)....and it was very obvious fitness wasn't one of his strong suits, he'd probably struggle with the changes in the game in the last decade or would be a 25-30 minute 2nd half sub.

 

[Jaguares]

That would be a blob LOL!!! I'm 1.65 M and am reasonably stocky at 67 KG(a shade under 150 lbs.), Yanyushkin with the Russian National Team is positively jacked and he only weighs around 75 KG(170 lbs), there might be some short hookers around that might get up to that weight at that height, but there fitness would likely be crap, 82 KG(180 lbs.) is very large for a 1.65 M(5'5") tall man.

Diego Lamelas who was Uruguay's Hooker in the late 90's early-mid 00's(and was a bright spot in their RWC sides) was 1.68 M(5'6") and 90 KG(just under 200 lbs)....and it was very obvious fitness wasn't one of his strong suits, he'd probably struggle with the changes in the game in the last decade or would be a 25-30 minute 2nd half sub.

In fact, in today's international rugby I don't know any great player with 1.65 m, but if there are players of 1.68 m or 1.70 m. The message I wanted to give is clear, perhaps the numbers aren't exact but they serve to show what I mean.

Other examples:

Aaron Smith - 1.69 m and 82 kg

Shane Williams - 1.70 m and 80 kg

They are have less height than Sergio Aguero but have more weight, and they aren't fat, they have good bodies.

Regards

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Yeah, but Wallabies lost great players like James Horwill, Will Genia and James O'Connor last year. And they are major players also have new players from Rugby League as Israel Folau and Joe Tomane. Addition, best of Quade Cooper and Will Genia we have seen with Ewen McKenzie, they shared many years together in Reds and know a lot, so now we could see the best of them with new coach.

Regards

Thanks Conrad, I was about to post "here we go, another year of everyone saying that the pumas only chance will be against the Wallabies"

we were depleted through injury last year and yet still managed to finish second. I remember the "review" last year that predicted the Wallabies finishing last... turn it up


LOL the whole weight vs. height thing.... just makes a mockery of the BMI calculation... all pro rugby players would be classified as 'obese'

 

[admartian]

Thanks Conrad, I was about to post "here we go, another year of everyone saying that the pumas only chance will be against the Wallabies"

we were depleted through injury last year and yet still managed to finish second. I remember the "review" last year that predicted the Wallabies finishing last... turn it up


LOL the whole weight vs. height thing.... just makes a mockery of the BMI calculation... all pro rugby players would be classified as 'obese'

Not all - just Piri Weepu.

And like I've mentioned, anyone can beat the ABs, just doing 15 man mauls close to the line. We've shown we're stubborn in committing defenders because we magically think that there are invisible layers to defend in the backline.

See Wales game last year. And see any SAF game where the Boks just dominate us in that mauling department.

 

[Thingimubob]

In fact, in today's international rugby I don't know any great player with 1.65 m, but if there are players of 1.68 m or 1.70 m. The message I wanted to give is clear, perhaps the numbers aren't exact but they serve to show what I mean.

Other examples:

Aaron Smith - 1.69 m and 82 kg

Shane Williams - 1.70 m and 80 kg

They are have less height than Sergio Aguero but have more weight, and they aren't fat, they have good bodies.

Regards

Shane is a very good example of that, remember reading he had the highest muscle to weight ratio of the entire Welsh squad in his last 5 or so international seasons.

admartian - I think NZ were slightly greedy with that '15 man lineout' against Wales. If that throw had gone astray, that was a certain try to NZ, as they'd kept players out in the backline - dont really blame them when they were 33 points up!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I am hoping SA can do a bit better than last year though I don't think we are in a position to win outright just yet. Last year was terrible but I can see us winning all our home games and hopefully we can come away with a win in Aus as our S15 teams have done well against Aus opposition this year (if that is worth anything) and in Argentina though I have no idea what to expect from them this season.