2023 came loaded with great challenges for
Los Pumas
.
To the usual
Rugby Championship
, which they dispute each year with the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Springboks;
The most important event in the world of the oval is added, the
World Championship
that will be played from September 8 to October 28 in France, a country that brings many beautiful memories to Argentines.
The team led by the Australian
Michael Cheika
started working this week with the hope of reaching the ecumenical event in the best possible way.
And he did it, precisely, on French soil, where in 2007 he won a historic bronze medal and where, in less than six months, the campaign will begin to repeat -or improve- that unforgettable achievement.
It is that the albiceleste team got back together after four months - they had not seen each other since mid-November - and held a mini rally in Paris between Monday and Wednesday, more precisely at the home of the powerful Stade Français
coached
by
Gonzalo Quesada
, who opened the doors of the club for them and even joined in to share some training.
The idea was simple, as Cheika explained before traveling: "Meet again after the November tour, spend time together, see the planning of the year and train some specific aspects that we want to see from these players in their last months of the season in Europe. ".
All pointing to the great purpose of the year (beyond sports, of course): change the mentality and consistency, so that the team plays at the same level during the 80 minutes of a game.
The Australian coach summoned a group of 40 players, with some big absences, such as
Pablo Matera
, who was unable to travel from Japan, where he currently plays;
but also with some important returns.
Among the players who were working in Paris was, for example,
Santiago Chocobares
, who had missed the entire second half of 2022 after suffering a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in June.
"I really wanted to go back," said the center from Santa Fe.
"This concentration was very good for us as a team, to continue working on aspects of the game in which we may have weaknesses and also to consolidate our strengths. And not to neglect the mental part thinking about the great challenge of the World Cup. It could be a great year for the whole team and for all Argentines".
The squad completed three days of a lot of work at the Parisian club.
On Monday, after the first meeting between the squad and coaching staff, there was a tough gym session and movements with the ball at the
Jean Bouin
stadium , an auxiliary complex for the
Top 14
team .
On Tuesday morning there were kicking and line rehearsals under heavy rain and with two special guests, the Frenchman
Jérémy Valls
and the Irishman
Alan Kingsley
, specialized kicking coaches, who assisted the Argentine backs.
And in the afternoon, the first rugby practice was held.
The last day had a share of special emotion.
Because in the morning, the Argentines met up again with Quesada -a historical reference for Los Pumas and former coach of Jaguares- and there were hugs, talks and laughter.
But also a lot of work.
First, the pack of forwards from the Stade Français joined that of the Argentine national team for an exercise session linked to the scrum, which closed with an exchange of shirts between the captains of both teams.
And at the end of the concentration, the national team once again had an intense rugby practice.
"We had three extremely productive days; because they served not only to refresh certain concepts that we had worked on last year, but also to get together and continue planning a very important year. They were very good days to consolidate certain knowledge and reinforce what we need in the coming three months, to then get back together with the closed planning for our great goal, which is the World Cup", analyzed
Felipe Contepomi
, the team's assistant coach.
Matías Moroni
commented: "They were a few days, but very intense, from which we got the most out of. We took advantage of each talk, each video analysis, and we were able to do very specific activities, which will help us to prepare in the best way in the next few months, which are the most beautiful, because they are the ones leading up to a World Cup".
"We had three extremely productive days," said Felipe Contepomi.
Photo Twitter @lospumas
The team will meet again in July, to face the reduced version of the Rugby Championship, in which they will play New Zealand in Mendoza, on the 8th of that month;
with Australia in Sydney, on the 15th;
and with South Africa in Johannesburg, on the 29th. Two test matches will follow in August: on the 5th with the Springboks in Vélez and on the 26th with Spain in Madrid.
And finally, on September 9, the long-awaited debut in the World Cup will arrive, against England in Marseille.
Los Pumas' rivals in Group D
England.
He will be Los Pumas' first opponent in group D, on September 9 in Marseille.
The Rosa team is going through a bad time.
A week ago they suffered a crushing defeat against
France
at Twickenham (53-10) by the
Six Nations
.
And this Saturday they will collide with Ireland at the end of the tournament, in which they quickly ran out of chances to fight for the title.
The complete fixture for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. Photo World Rugby
samoa.
They will face Argentina on September 22 in Saint Etienne.
His last official match was a test match against
Italy
, on November 5 in Padua, which the European team won 49-17. Before the World Cup, he will play the
Pacific Nations Cup
, from July 22 to August 5.
Chili.
It will be the third obstacle for the Argentines in the World Cup.
They will play on September 30 in Nantes.
The trans-Andean team beat the Hawks XV
, an American team,
41-26 a few weeks ago in a friendly played in La Reina.
Japan.
The Pumas will close the group against the Japanese team on October 8, also in Nantes.
He has a test match against the All Blacks scheduled for July 15.
And then they will play the Pacific Cup with Samoa,
Tonga
and
Fiji
.
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