Argentina plan to coax their Europe-based players back home and field a full international team in Super Rugby when the southern hemisphere franchise competition is expanded in 2016.
Super Rugby organisers have confirmed that Argentina, South Africa and either Singapore or Japan will host new club franchises in the revamped tournament. Agustín Creevy, the Argentina captain who will rejoin Worcester Warriors after the Rugby Championship finishes, revealed the plan was to build a squad full of Pumas to help to improve the national team.
“It is going to be very, very important because all the members of the team are going to know each other better by playing all year together and we are going to profit as a team,” Creevy said.
It would not be a simple process for the Argentina Rugby Union (UAR) as more than half of the players in the national squad are based in Europe, many on lucrative contracts. However, it would bring an end to club-versus-country clashes and give Daniel Hourcade, the Argentina coach, unbroken access to his players. At present, he has them only for the Rugby Championship and November internationals.
Argentina, who fell to a 33-31 defeat by South Africa a fortnight ago in the Rugby Championship, face New Zealand in Napier today. The All Blacks defeated Australia 51-20 last time out and have given Beauden Barrett his first international start at fly half. Israel Dagg returns to the team at full back, while Argentina are without Pablo Matera, the injured Leicester flanker.
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Bryan Habana will become the fourth South Africa player to win 100 caps when the Springboks face Australia in Perth.
Australia’s defeat by the All Blacks in Auckland has prompted changes at fly half and scrum half, with Kurtley Beale and Nic White dropped in favour of the half-back pairing of Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley that guided the NSW Waratahs to the Super Rugby title.