Ireland legend on Los Pumas: 'They're a nation built for the World Cup'
SPOTLIGHT: Argentina arrived at their World Cup base on the Brittany coast on Friday where wing Juan Imhoff declared he could feel “the pressure building”.
“We’re starting to get the World Cup gear, the hat, the little medal, the pressure’s starting to build and that’s what a player likes,” said French-based Imhoff at a one-and-half-hour welcome ceremony in the up-market seaside resort of Le Baule.
Former Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll welcomed Argentina acting as a World Cup ambassador.
“One thing I know about Argentina is that they’re a nation built for the World Cup – sometimes at my expense,” said O’Driscoll, who captained the Ireland team that lost 15-30 to Argentina in Paris in the group stage in 2007.
The Argentinians, who spent part of their preparations in the south of Portugal, have lost prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and loose forward Santiago Grondona to injury.
They are in Pool D with Japan, Samoa, debutants Chile and England, who they face in their opening game in Marseille on September 9.
“In the World Cup it’s the group favourites who start and we’ve got a big clash ahead of us,” said Imhoff. “The best team is going to win.”
