Argentina must take the pressure at World Cup

Argentina must step up to the plate and convert the mounting pressure on them into a first World Cup win, according to coach Daniel Hourcade.

The Pumas went down 26-16 to champions New Zealand in their opening Pool C game and take on Georgia, 17-10 victors over Tonga in their opener, at Gloucester on Friday.

Widely tipped to finish second behind the All Blacks, Hourcade said the pressure was well and truly on to perform.

"No, the pressure is always here with us," Hourcade said in reference to moving from a sell-out 89,000 Wembley Stadium to the 16,500-seater Kingsholm.

"It's part of high performance. And also in a World Cup, the team that wants to be on the top like us have to have the ability to take the pressure. And we want to be on the top."

One major difference for Argentina since the last World Cup in 2011, when the Pumas beat Georgia 25-7, is the fact they now play in the Rugby Championship alongside Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

"There have been a lot of changes," Hourcade said.

"The opportunity to play the Rugby Championship gave us a different preparation.
"We have grown a lot as a team, but we also consider Georgia have grown a lot. The fact that they beat Tonga shows us that."

The Argentine Rugby Union (UAR), in a statement released Thursday, defended their lock Mariano Galarza, a replacement in their loss to New Zealand who was later banned for nine weeks after an incident with Brodie Retallick.

Galarza, who plays for Gloucester in the English Premiership, was found guilty of making "contact with the eye or eye area" of lock Retallick.

The UAR said it supported Galarza and would appeal the suspension.

While Galarza might miss out on his "home crowd" in Kingsholm, Saracens centre Marcelo Bosch had good memories of one of the loudest and most unforgiving crowds in British rugby.

"I am expecting a great atmosphere," admitted Bosch.

"I had the chance to play here last season and the year before and it was really great. I have a few memories: last year I remember we (Saracens) lost to a last-minute James Hook penalty from half way so that wasn't a great one!"

All joking aside, Bosch added: "We have prepared ourselves very well and have tried as best as possible to recover from the New Zealand game.

"If we want to continue our adventure in the World Cup we really have to play well and win tomorrow."

While Bosch might well be called upon for sharp-shooting, long-range kicking abilities, hooker and captain Agustin Creevy firstly expected a thorough inspection from the gnarly Georgian pack.

"It is going to be really tough," he said.

"They will play a hard game. They will look to use their physicality at the breakdowns and in the mauls, but we have been training a lot and we feel well prepared and will try and get good ball for our backs."
Source: AFP