Los Pumas come to the Rugby World Cup with one of the most respected front rows in world rugby.
One of their scrum bulwarks is Mauricio Reggiardo who made his international debut against Uruguay way back in 1996.
He has now played 47 tests and just hours out from the RWC opener against the defending champs Australia he knows what he’ll have to do to stamp his mark on the front row battle.
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Argentina were also involved in the opening game of the previous RWC in Wales. The 33 year old Reggiardo was at that Tournament and his experience will be invaluable come Friday at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium.
“This is our most important week but some of us have had that sort of experience,” he said.
“In Wales in 1999 we opened the World Cup too but this is different because it’s against Australia, the World Champions and host nation.
"We are still waiting for our team to be named, every day we are doing our best to get a place on the pitch.”
Both coaches Marcelo Loffreada (Pumas) and Eddie Jones (Wallabies) are not giving away too many clues in the lead up to the big match.
For Reggiardo this match is difficult but not harder than other games he has played against the Wallabies.
“The team who plays the best wins the game. It’s as simple as that. We know what we have to do. What Argentina wants is not convenient to Australia and vice versa,” said the Buenos Aires prop.
Age is experience
At the 1999 RWC Argentina's coach was former All Black custodian Alex Wylie.
A New Zealand newspaper asked him for his thoughts on the 2003 Puma vintage.
He said his former pupils should have dropped some of the older players for some fresh blood.
With all due respect, Reggiardo did not agree with his former mentor. “I think rugby is a man’s game and the difference between other sports is that in certain positions the bigger you are the better you are.
”The average age of the Pumas’ forwards is 30 and they are the best players around,” the 118kg, 190cm colossus said.
“I would rather face a young forward pack than an experienced one. In our case we’ve (most of the forward pack) been playing together for almost seven years and we know how each other performs and we know what each of us can bring to the play.
”Wylie can think we are old but I do not agree.”
It’s not just the first game
Argentina are in the Pool A – a tough group with Australia, Ireland, Romania and Namibia.
Reggiardo reckons that the odds are stacked with the host nation in the opening match.
“It’s more convenient for the Wallabies to play us in the first game rather than the last one.
”We always improve a lot from the first to last game on tours
”To me the most important thing is not to be in the opening game but just that we are playing Australia in Sydney.”
Between beach and cards
The Pumas have based themselves in Coogee, a Sydney surf haven and an ideal place to take advantage of the beach to disconnect from the RWC hype that is taking hold of Sydney in springtime.
“If the weather is nice we may go to the beach for a while but the best past time for me is to play cards with the team.”
At their Monday training full back Ignacio Corleto looked to be near full recovery from a slight abdominal strain and took part in the full training.
However, of more concern was the fact Pedro Sporleder could not finish the session.
The experienced second rower suffered a contraction of his abductor muscle on his right leg.
An Argentine team spokesman said Sporleder’s condition has improved this morning (Wednesday 8 October) but could not confirm whether he would be available for for first game selection .