Argentina's Pumas scale new heights

PARIS (Reuters) - Aptly named after a mountain cat, the Argentina Pumas have scaled new heights by finishing first in their World Cup group at the weekend.

A resounding 30-15 victory over Ireland on Sunday gave Argentina first place in the World Cup's toughest pool and a quarter-final berth against Scotland at the Stade de France next Sunday.

But while Ireland and Wales, who both failed to make the last eight, can seek redemption in the Six Nations championship, Argentina must wait until the next June international month for their next tests.

Coach Marcelo Loffreda, whose brilliance has earned him a contract with the Leicester Tigers, commented once again on Argentina's bid to enter either the Six Nations or the southern hemisphere's Tri-nations competitions.

"With the performances this team is achieving, the request evidently carries more weight," he told the post-match news conference at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

"We are showing this on the pitch. We're not demanding anything, rather we are saying 'here is Argentina'," Loffreda said, emphasising that his side have their own rugby identity and are not simply a team of mercenaries who learned their trade in European clubs.

"The lads were schooled in Argentina, they have their own trade mark, then they gain and give experience playing abroad, plus what we can add (as coaches), produces a game capable of reaching a World Cup quarter-final", he said.

"This team, the 30 and another 20 that remained in Argentina, are good enough to play against anyone."

Loffreda believes the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) needs to face up to the difficulties, essentially geographical, that have so far prevented the Pumas' insertion in the Six Nations or Tri-nations and also overcome its reluctance to introduce an elite professional game at home.

"There are three step we have to take. First reflect, then make structural changes looking for what suits us best and finally take decisions to put that in motion," Loffreda said.

International Rugby Board president Syd Millar said before the World Cup that the IRB had money to give Argentina once it had implemented a high performance structure.

"It's clear we (and they) are not agreed on this subject," Millar told the Argentine Web site prematch.com.ar in an interview.

"Yes, we'll give them the funds, but the IRB council wants that to be in exchange for a structure. The money is available but the UAR must complete the job for us to be able to give it to them."

The former Ireland international added: "The Irish example is valid. We had to repatriate our players to begin to be competitive. (Argentina) must do something similar."