Coach Daniel Hourcade has made 11 changes for the match, not just a sign that he feels comfortable using fringe players but also an opportunity to give game-time to those who have seen little or no action yet to keep them match ready for the quarter-finals. One of those is centre Juan Pablo Socino, who gets a first game and an opportunity to push for a place in the starting line-up for the knockout stages.
“I am thrilled to be playing my first game, it was tough to be here and not get a game up to now,” Socino told reporters on Saturday.
“This game is massively important for us because we want to keep winning and keep improving. We need to work on our game-plan ahead of the quarter-finals.” After an opening 26-16 loss to world champions New Zealand, Argentina have responded with a 54-9 success against Georgia and a 45-16 win over Tonga.
Those victories look good on paper, but Hourcade has admitted concerns about facets of his team’s play, not least the scrum, usually such a potent weapon for the Pumas.
Tighthead prop Juan Pablo Orlandi said the Namibia clash can ease those concerns.
“We have good confidence after the last few victories, so I think we can have a good game tomorrow. We have to keep working hard for the team to build for the quarter-finals.”
It was a sentiment echoed by scrum coach Emiliano Bergamaschi.
“It’s important for us to keep improving, and also to give minutes to other members of our squad during the tournament. We will be taking the game very seriously,” he said.
Argentina will take on Ireland or France in the last eight having beaten both in the pool stage in 2007. Bergamaschi said there is no preference for his team over who they face.
“Both France and Ireland are very tough teams to play, we don’t have any preference between those teams.”
(Editing by Justin Palmer)
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