Pumas out to send a message

Argentina will tomorrow open the World Cup finals for the third successive time. After losing narrowly to Wales in 1999 and succumbing to Australia four years later, the Pumas believe they have the capacity to jolt a nation that seems to be running away with itself by comparing this tournament to the 1998 football World Cup which France hosted and won.

Argentina are the most improved team in the world game this decade. They lie sixth in the rankings, edged out of fifth position by Ireland last month, they have defeated all the Six Nations participants in recent years, they have one of the most resourceful forwards packs around and their coach, Marcelo Loffreda, is so highly regarded that he is becoming Leicester's director of rugby after the tournament.

Under Loffreda the Pumas have evolved from a confrontational side which looked to go from a set piece to a rolling maul into one which, even if never forsaking its forward base, is less agoraphobic.

While the prospect of facing France in Paris is rarely less than daunting, the fact that most of Argentina's starting line-up earn their livings in the country and know the players well makes tomorrow's opener less vexing than the ones in 1999 and 2003.

"We know France very well," said Loffreda. "We have played them five times since I have been the coach and a number of our players are based in the country. We think we know how to play them and beat them. We are well prepared both physically and mentally for a tournament which provides us with the perfect platform to tell the world that Argentina is ready to play in a major tournament like the Six Nations."

Although Loffreda leaves for Welford Road and the coaching job at Leicester Tigers next month, he remains impassioned about Argentina's rugby future and believes a strong World Cup showing, getting out of the group stage at the expense of either France or Ireland, would be seismic in its impact and make his country's case for inclusion in the Six Nations Championship.

"The simple fact is that we would add to the competitiveness of the Six Nations," he said. "It would be a better tournament for us than the Tri-Nations because most of our players are based in Europe. We want to give the rugby world a message this World Cup. We have made the top six in the world rankings but it is clear we will have to get into the leading three or four to make our voice heard properly."

Felipe Contepomi and Agustin Pichot have been Loffreda's playing lieutenants this decade. They are appearing in their third and final World Cup, both determined to leave their mark.

"It would be easy for us to feel a sense of injustice at being in the same pool as the hosts for the third consecutive tournament but any grievance should be felt by those who follow the game," said Contepomi, who has played most of his international rugby at outhalf but has been moved to inside-centre of late to augment his side's growing threat out wide.

"Being in the same group as France and Ireland means one of the best six teams in the world will not be in the quarter-finals.

"It is something that perhaps the International Rugby Board should look at in the future but we have known our fate for the last 18 months and we are determined that we will not be the ones to lose out.

"We were a bit unlucky in 2003, losing to Ireland narrowly, but we have come a long way since then. We have had good results in Argentina and on the road: most of our players are based in some of Europe's leading clubs and there is no longer a feeling that we are stepping into the unknown."

ARGENTINA (v France): I Corleto; L Borges, M Contepomi, F Contepomi, H Agulla; J M Hernandez, A Pichot (capt); R Roncero, M Ledesma, M Scelzo; I Fernandez Lobbe, P Albacete; J Fernandez Lobbe, L Ostiglia, J M Leguizamon. Replacements: A Basualdo, S Bonorino, R Alvarez, M Durand, N Fernandez Miranda, F Todeschini, H Senillosa.