“Made in Argentina”. This is the branding that Agustin Pichot seeks for his country and, win or lose against England tomorrow, the match is a stepping stone in a project that Pichot believes will not reach maturity until the 2015 World Cup, which will also, of course, be staged in England.
There is no better advocate for the South American game than the former scrum half and captain. He brings to his role as director of Argentina’s high-performance unit the same passion and intensity he did during 12 years as an international player, but he also brings the energy of youth, at 35, and the skills of a politician that made him an invaluable aide to the IRB’s successful campaign to restore the sport to the Olympic Games.
“Are we looking to beat England on Saturday, yes, are we looking for something more, yes,” he said. “We want more than just a rugby match at Twickenham. It’s the base for a very long strategy. England have a strong domestic championship, eventually they will find a team, that’s why they were second in the 2007 World Cup. Argentina [who were third] do not have that opportunity to test players, we have to discover our strengths and weaknesses.”
When Pichot retired two years ago, he threw himself into a crusade to involve Argentina in one of the world’s leading international competitions. The Tri-Nations has agreed to expand its ranks to include the Pumas from 2012, so long as they can guarantee the availability of their strongest side and that they are not a drain on the tournament’s economic structure.
Argentina have received funding from the IRB and will receive more to help to establish a professional structure at home that will entice players back from Europe.
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There are plans for an Argentine side to play in South Africa’s Vodacom Cup next year and ambitions to be the sixteenth franchise in Super rugby by 2013-14. Of the 60-70 Argentine players in Europe, Pichot believes there will be no more than a handful within four years. “I have spoken to them, I think they will come home for a reasonable contract,” he said. “The team that came third in the world was a measure of the players then in Europe, people who made a significant impact on European rugby. That won’t happen again without the necessary development.”
? Agustin Pichot is a studio guest on Sky Sports’s live and high-definition coverage of England v Argentina tomorrow from 2pm.