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Date: 2023-12-07 18:48:37 | Author: PFF | Views: 273 | Tag: games
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Michael Cheika refused to assess the entirety of Argentina’s Rugby World Cup campaign or his tenure as head coach of the Pumas games
Coming off a harrowing 44-6 semi-final defeat to New Zealand in which they’d been totally outclassed in every facet of the game, perhaps his reticence was understandable games
Next Friday’s third-place play-off against the loser of the second semi-final games between England and South Africa merely provided a handy excuse games
It’s a game that players don’t want to play, spectators don’t want to watch and media don’t want to cover but it did give Cheika a week’s buffer to collect himself before he will have to answer the tough questions games
“I can’t do that straight away,” said Cheika when asked to assess his time in charge of Argentina, which comes to an end after this World Cup games
“I haven’t finished yet games
“I know we won’t win World Cup but I’m happy to be at this level and they deserve to be here games
Their play, ambition, ability to raise themselves after the first game [a pool-stage loss to England] games
It’s another obstacle but we can be proud of our team and our capacity to deal with obstacles games
Next week we have a game to play, at the end of the World Cup we will summarise and assess it games
”The players were similarly on message with their adamance at the importance of the worst game in rugby games
“There is one more game left, one more final,” said flanker Marcos Kremer games
“We want to leave this World Cup winning and we are going to do everything to make it happen games
”“We are going to prepare like a final games
We are not satisfied with being here games
We want a medal and we are going to fight for that," added wing Mateo Carreras games
The value of a third-place play-off in an event defined by a trophy, rather than a medal podium, and its place in an already over-saturated playing calendar is a debate for another time but the Pumas can only keep the wolf at the door for so long games
They will soon have to address exactly what happened in the second-most one-sided World Cup semi-final of all time – the eventual margin of defeat just narrower than the All Blacks’ 49-6 triumph over Wales in 1987 games
The All Blacks ran riot in the Stade de France (Getty Images)Three times in their rugby history, Argentina have reached the semi-final stage of the World Cup, with three losses to show for it games
They have scored just one try across those 240 minutes and have a combined losing margin of 76 points games
The celebrations and lap of honour after beating Wales in the quarter-finals in Marseille a week ago suggested that, deep down, the Pumas believed they had come as far as they could in this tournament games
Both history, and the performance that followed against New Zealand, made it a self-fulfilling prophecy games
They hardly imposed themselves on the All Blacks at the Stade de France games
Phases of attack came to a grinding halt once they reached the All Black 22, with the ball inevitably jackalled away, the defensive line was torn to shreds by their opponents’ quick hands and clever lines, the scrum was splintered by a dominant New Zealand pack and basic handling errors defined the game games
Frankly, it wasn’t a match befitting a World Cup semi-final and ensured the Pumas book-ended their tournament (barring next Friday’s bronze-medal irrelevance) with abject displays, after the lifeless opening loss to 14-man England games
It is hardly a squad bereft of talent games
The experience of Julian Montoya and Agustin Creevy leading the front row is complemented by an exciting, dynamic back-row trio of Juan Martin Gonzalez, Kremer and Facundo Isa that should be able to match almost any opposition games
While questions remain at nine and 10, a back three of Mateo Carreras, Emiliano Boffelli and Juan Cruz Mallia is explosive enough to give any team fits games
Argentina were dejected after slipping to a semi-final defeat (Getty Images)Perhaps a semi-final appearance shouldn’t be sneered at games
Yes, they benefitted from being in the considerably weaker half of the draw but it equalled their best World Cup performance and you can only beat who’s in front of you games
On paper, Cheika’s tenure – since taking the reins from the sacked Mario Ledesma in early 2022 – will be viewed as a success games
A first-ever win over the All Blacks in New Zealand last summer and a World Cup semi-final is not a bad return games
But in terms of the ‘eye test’, the Pumas never looked like an elite side and there’s a nagging feeling that they haven’t moved forward under the Australian games
Cheika’s preferred coaching style of creating a ‘siege mentality, us against the world’ environment always seemed at odds with the largely personable Argentina squad games
Media availability was limited – perhaps a poor fit for the historically open Pumas – and a bubble created around the team games
Putting your stamp on things in just an 18-month period is tough, with Felipe Contepomi always slated to become head coach after the World Cup and learning the ropes as part of Cheika’s coaching team in the interim games
The legendary Pumas fly half, who is also a cult hero at Leinster following playing and coaching spells there, will likely provide a different strategy in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup and it will be fascinating to see what he’s taken from his time working under Cheika games
As for the Australian, he departs with his reputation certainly not damaged and maybe even enhanced games
The 56-year-old will undoubtedly be in demand around the rugby world and should be able to have his pick from a number of exciting coaching opportunities games
“It is not a sad moment,” insisted Cheika in the aftermath of defeat in Paris games
“It’s a moment I’m proud of my team games
We were in the semi-final of a World Cup games
”Yes, they were games
But the suspicion that there was a version of this Pumas side that still had more to give remains games
More aboutMichael CheikaArgentina rugbyRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Argentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerThe All Blacks ran riot in the Stade de France Getty ImagesArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerArgentina were dejected after slipping to a semi-final defeat Getty ImagesArgentina waste potential to leave Cheika with questions to answerMichael Cheika led Argentina to a World Cup semi-final but they were trounced by New Zealand Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today games
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World Rugby has approved plans to set up a new international league competition as part of part of a radical shake-up of the global calendar games
The bi-annual tournament is to be launched in 2026 and will be made up of two divisions of 12 teams, with promotion and relegation commencing from 2030 games
Matches will be staged in the July and November international windows games
In addition to a competition that has been tentatively named the ‘Nations Cup’, World Rugby’s council has given the go-ahead to the expansion of the World Cup to 24 teams in time for Australia 2027 games
The revised format will consist of six pools of four teams and will see the creation of a round of 16 to take place before the quarter-finals games
The top two teams from each group will automatically qualify, as well as the best four third-placed teams games
Even though the number of sides is to be increased, the adjustment means the World Cup can be reduced from seven to six weeks from October 1 to November 13, 2027, while providing the same number of minimum rest days games
The draw for the next competition will take place in January 2026 in the hope of avoiding the lopsided groups seen in France over the last two months games
As part of the changes, the international window for November has been lifted from three to four weekends and the Six Nations will lose one of its fallow weeks games
It has yet to be decided which break week of the Six Nations will be removed but from 2026 the competition will reduced from seven to six weeks to free up an international weekend for the Nations Cup in November games
The top division of the Nations Cup will be run by Six Nations and SANZAR unions while the second division will be overseen by World Rugby games
The competition will culminate in a final games between teams from the northern and southern hemispheres games
World Rugby state that the new competition structure, which enshrines British and Irish Lions tours in their existing format, will also provide an increased number of fixtures games between the game’s heavyweights and emerging nations games
“A new era is about to begin for our sport games
An era that will bring certainty and opportunity for all,” World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said games
“An era that will support the many, not the few, and an era that will supercharge the development of the sport beyond its traditional and often self-imposed boundaries games
All boats will rise together games
”World Rugby’s 51-member council voted on the changes on Tuesday but only just reached the required 75 per cent majority games
“Certain countries will have their own views on matters,” Beaumont said games
“I would like to think that around the room there might have been a few dissenters but on the whole there was a pretty significant vote in favour of these new competitions games
”Criticism of the new format centres around not enough being done for less established nations, especially after the likes of Portugal and Uruguay have surpassed expectations at the World Cup, but World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin sees it as a radical improvement to the status quo games
“Is it perfect? Probably not games
Is it a hell of a lot games better than the current situation? Absolutely,” Gilpin said games
More aboutPA ReadyWorld RugbyAustraliaBill BeaumontSix NationsFranceGuinnessBritish and Irish LionsEnglandUruguayPortugal1/1World Rugby to launch new international competition from 2026World Rugby to launch new international competition from 2026World Rugby is set to shake-up the international calendar (Bradley Collyer/PA) games
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