Pumas to grow in stature
Argentina wing Gonzalo Camacho says the inaugural Rugby Championship is the ultimate learning curve for the Pumas.
“It's the most important tournament in the history of rugby in Argentina,” Camacho said of the Pumas’ inclusion in their first annual international tournament.
Argentina, ranked eighth on the IRB World Rankings, are some distance behind their illustrious southern hemisphere opposition New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, the three perennial powerhouses of international rugby.
Camacho conceded that the competition is stiff, but said that after only two matches, the Pumas have already made noticeable improvement.
Argentina, indeed, showed vast improvement in their 16-all home draw with the Springboks after their tense performance in their historic Rugby Championship debut against the selfsame Springboks in Cape Town the previous week.
“We were so close to winning, it was frustrating,” Camacho said of the match in Mendoza. “We were committed and we played a good game. We didn't get the win, but this is a huge step for Argentina rugby. We are very happy about that result, and we made a big improvement from one weekend to the next.”
Camacho said facing top teams week in and week out would ensure Argentine rugby goes from strength to strength.
“I think it's good for us to be in this tournament so we can improve and learn more. It's the best place for us to be,” he said.
"We're now stringing together high-quality games each week and it's got to be good for the quality of our rugby.”
Following back-to-back clashes against South Africa, the Pumas face the most daunting task of the Rugby Championship when they play the world champion All Blacks on New Zealand soil this weekend.
Camacho said the Pumas will aim to build on their performance in Mendoza and continue their upward curve in Wellington on Saturday.
“We know the rugby we have to play and we have play it for 80 minutes. It's everything or nothing. We are prepared to play against New Zealand, and show how much we are improving.
"We hope we can play well but we also know how hard it will be. We will try to control the game and to play rugby and enjoy it.”
