Los Pumas: Development or the highest level of competition? An uncomfortable series raises questions

The word “standards” echoed through the media area at Mendoza's Malvinas Argentinas stadium, a measure of what it means to represent Los Pumas at rugby's highest level. Argentina's 28-28 draw with Australia ended an uncomfortable series, but it did not settle the larger question facing the team: is it developing players, or pursuing the maximum competitive standard now?

On paper, the campaign passed. Argentina lost by seven points to South Africa, fell by six to Australia and then drew with the Wallabies. The context was difficult. Los Pumas played without some of their best players, although home advantage helped. South Africa also travelled without its leading names, while Australia's visit represented an early outline of the cycle under coach Less Kis, which is expected to emerge more fully over the next year.

Felipe Contepomi insisted that the result alone did not define the work. “Maybe it sounds demagogic: we are here to win and we are competitive animals. But it is not the result that drives us, it is how we progress in what we want to do and in our development as a team,” the head coach said after the draw. He added that the same 34 players who began the five-week period had become a completely different team by its end.

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Maybe it sounds demagogic: we are here to win and we are competitive animals. But it is not the result that drives us, it is how we progress in what we want to do and in our development as a team.

The home season has produced two sharply different sections. The Nations Championship matches against Scotland, Wales and England were negative in both performance and results. The tests against the Springboks and Wallabies were acceptable, though they also exposed choices that could be questioned. With the World Cup only a year away, the article asks whether Argentina should widen its call-ups to experienced players working in France who currently have no place in the squad.

South Africa's Rassie Erasmus has recalled nearly 40-year-old Deon Fourie after three seasons away for the series against New Zealand. Argentina has not followed that path. Gonzalo Bertranou's return appeared more like a response to inconsistency among the current scrum-halves than a reward for his level in Major League Rugby. Asked about club demands before the match, Contepomi replied: “I don't know what they ask of the players at the clubs. I interpret from the outside, just as you can interpret from the outside what we do.”

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I don't know what they ask of the players at the clubs. I interpret from the outside, just as you can interpret from the outside what we do.