RUGBY WORLD CUP: In a clear statement of intent, the Pumas' coach Marcelo Loffreda has boldly gambled on the brighter, more inventive outhalf play of Leinster's close-season signing Felipe Contepomi rather than the more prosaic if superior goalkicking of Gonzalo Quesada for the eagerly-awaited tournament opener against Australia.
Even though Contepomi's horrid night with the boot was the primary reason for Argentina's defeat to the Wallabies in Buenos Aires last year, Loffreda has resisted the temptation to shift Contepomi from the number 10 shirt to inside centre to accommodate Quesada in his starting team. This, despite the absence of regular centre and captain Lisandro Arbizu.
However, then Pumas coach admitted it was a tough decision to leave his expert kicker on the bench. "Yes, it was difficult to leave him (Quesada) out, but we've had to pick the best team for this game and this is the best team for this game," he said.
Quesada's 102 points at Rugby World Cup 1999, made him the tournament's top scorer and put him in the same company as celebrated kickers and past World Cup top scorers Grant Fox (New Zealand) and Thierry Lacroix (France).
The other surprise in the Pumas' starting line-up was the selection of 21-year-old lock Patricio Albacete ahead of the abrasive Perpignan lock Rimas Alvarez in the second row. Albacete made his debut for Argentina in the 144-0 win over Paraguay in April this year and his six appearances to date make him one of the most inexperienced Test players in an otherwise vastly experienced Pumas' line-up.
Loffreda was, however, quick to point to the towering lock's stints with the Pumas under age teams (he was captain at under-19 and under-21 level) as a mark of his readiness for the high-pressure tournament opener. "He's had a lot of experience with the younger teams. He's recently come into the senior side and has been involved in many of the games this season," said Loffreda. "One of the hardest games for him was against South Africa in Port Elizabeth and he did well. We hope that he will keep up that standard of play in this match."
The 6ft 7ins Albacete plays his club rugby in France for former European Cup finalists Colomiers and was one of the outstanding players in the Under-21 Rugby World Cup in 2002.
The 35-year-old flanker Rolando Martin will equal the Argentinian record of 84 caps which is the current preserve of the missing Arbizu. Martin is one of seven players in the starting line-up which has over 45 caps to his name, and it is a measure of their peerless front-row strength than another, the 65 times capped 31-year-old hooker Federico Mendez, is on the bench along with Mauricio Reggiardo, where they are also joined by the talented full back Juan Hernandez.
In a piece of familiar history, the Pumas' backs Felipe and Manuel Contepomi will become the second set of twins to start a Rugby World Cup match for Argentina. It's an achievement that mirrors that of twin wingers Juan and Pedro Lanza, who started on the left and right wings respectively, in the 25-16 win against Italy at RWC 1987.
Tomorrow's match won't be the first time they've both appeared together in a World Cup match, after both got onto the field from the reserves bench in the 47-26 defeat against France in 1999. They have also appeared together in non-Rugby World Cup matches for the Pumas.
ARGENTINA: I Corleto; JM Nunez Piossek, M Contepomi, J Orengo, D Albanese; F Contepomi, A Pichot (capt); R Grau, M Ledesma, O Hasan, I Fernandez Lobbe, P Albacete, S Phelan, G Longo, R Martin.
Replacements: F Mendez, M Reggiardo, R Alvarez, M Durand, N Fernandez Miranda, G Quesada, J Hernandez.
