ARGENTINA INTRODUCTION
From Juan Martín Hernández to Facundo Isa, passing by Ignacio Corleto, Rodrigo Roncero and Patricio Albacete, rugby relations between Argentina and France have always been great. And the Pumas have fond memories of France, too. At Rugby World Cup 2007, Agustín Pichot and his teammates made a statement, notably beating France in the opening match. It was an epic journey that culminated in a magnificent bronze medal and remains Argentina's best performance in the tournament to this day.
Now led by Michael Cheika – another famous “Franco-Argentinian”, with a passage at Castres Olympic – the Pumas will again want to make their mark on Rugby World Cup 2023 and avenge elimination in the pool phase two years ago in Japan.
With the likes of Nicolás Sánchez (RWC 2015’s top scorer), winger Emiliano Boffelli and Tomás Lavanini on board, Argentina, driven by their historic victories over New Zealand in 2020 and 2022, will be among the most feared nations competing in France, and their fixtures against England and Japan promise to be spectacular.