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Pumas coach unveils master plan for World Cup
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda has outlined the start of his plans to try to steer the Pumas further than ever before at this year's World Cup in France.
He also praised the commitment of the Pumas as a key factor in his becoming the first Argentine coach to be appointed to a leading club in one of the major rugby nations. He is to take charge of Leicester Tigers after the September-October World Cup.
Loffreda told Reuters from Buenos Aires that he would almost certainly pick his World Cup squad from the 45 players named last week for a two-Test series in Argentina against Ireland, followed by one Test against Italy, plus two players unavailable at present through injury.
Argentina play Ireland in Santa Fe on May 26 and Buenos Aires on June 2, and Italy in Mendoza on June 9.
"There are two injured players we have not included (for the Tests), Jose Nunez Piossek and Federico Martin Aramburu," Loffreda said referring to two experienced French-based backs.
The team he puts out against Ireland for the first test will depend on French club championship commitments involving a number of leading Pumas, and fitness at the end of a long and busy season in Europe for the majority of his players.
"It will depend on the final stages of the French championship. It will be a mix of more experienced players and youngsters. We may rest those who are most tired," he said.
Ireland are travelling with a second string squad as they rest captain Brian O'Driscoll and several other members of the side that finished a close second to France in this year's Six Nations, winning the Triple Crown.
Neither side will want to give away too much in the series since they face each other in a key Group D match at the World Cup in Paris on Sept. 30. Argentina beat Ireland to reach the quarter-finals for the first and only time in 1999. The Irish won their group decider in 2003.
Loffreda was grateful to his players, among other people, for the chance he has been handed to coach Leicester Tigers.
"It's a matter of great pride," he said of his appointment last month. "It's an important recognition of Argentine rugby and I'm deeply grateful to those who helped make this possible, starting with my wife Dolores and my children.
"Also to the staff of the national team with whom we have shared the eight years at the helm of the Pumas and the Pumas players without whose commitment, play and selflessness we would not be valued," he added.
Squad:
Backs:
Juan Martin Hernandez, Ignacio Corleto, Horacio Agulla, Lucas Borges, Marcelo Bosch, Francisco Leonelli, Nicolas Vergallo, Hernan Senillosa, Federico Serra, Bernardo Stortoni, Tomas de Vedia, Gonzalo Tiesi, Martin Gaitan, Miguel Avramovic, Manuel Contepomi, Felipe Contepomi, Federico Todeschini, Juan Fernandez Miranda, Agustin Pichot (captain), Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Lucio Lopez Fleming
Forwards:
Gonzalo Longo, Martin Durand, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Genaro Fessia, Lucas Ostiglia, Martin Schusterman, Manuel Carizza, Jaime Arocena, Rimas Alvarez, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Esteban Lozada, Patricio Albacete, Rodrigo Roncero, Omar Hasan, Mario Ledesma, Martin Scelzo, Alberto Vernet Basualdo, Eusebio Guinazu, Marcos Ayerza, Pablo Henn, Gaston de Robertis, Pablo Gambarini, Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino
Reuters
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