Argentina deserve to be favourites in World Cup opener against England

Argentina and Rugby World Cups in France are a match made in heaven dating back 24 years to Diego Albanese’s try that changed the course of Argentinian rugby history. A squad largely made up of students and amateurs pitched up in Lens in 1999 and stunned Ireland, with Albanese racing over eight minutes from time to help the Pumas reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time.

That try opened the door to Europe for the country’s best players and laid the foundation for their run to the semi-finals eight years later – again in France. The 2007 campaign, bookended by victories over the hosts for a historic third-place finish, led to Argentina joining the Rugby Championship.

As the World Cup returns to France, Argentina arrive with an unprecedented level of expectation as the highest-ranked team on their half of the draw. They will deservedly go into their opening match against a misfiring England in Marseille on Saturday as favourites.

It is all a far cry from the team that travelled in 1999 with only five full-time professionals in their ranks and seeking to improve on a solitary win in three previous World Cup campaigns. Albanese, who will be working as a pundit on the ground at his fifth World Cup after playing in three, was one of those amateurs, plying his trade in his hometown club of San Isidro.

“The 1999 World Cup was huge. We weren’t supposed to do what we did,” he says. “For us as a nation it was a turning point because after that World Cup 95% of our players had an open door to go to Europe.

“I was 26, I had just finished my degree and I was working for a big sportswear company, playing amateur rugby. Most of us were students. My routine would involve going to university for three hours in the morning, then working a full day and squeezing in training and gym in the evening from 7pm until 10.30pm.

“I came back after that World Cup and suddenly I received a call from Grenoble in France and had to make a decision about what I was going to do. I initially went for six months and ended up in Europe for six years, playing for Gloucester and Leeds.

“And it was not just me. That run gave us the chance to go to Europe to start playing against the best week in, week out. Until then, we would play a couple of games a year against the top teams but it would be a case of amateurs against professionals.”

Among those who trod the same path as Albanese were Mario Ledesma, Ignacio Corleto and Felipe Contepomi, three stars of the 2007 campaign. Contepomi will also be returning to France as an assistant for the Pumas’ head coach, the Australian Michael Cheika.

As well as being Argentina’s all-time record points-scorer and a qualified doctor, Contepomi was part of the backroom team at Leinster alongside the former England coach Stuart Lancaster, masterminding the Irish province’s attack. He left in 2022 to link up with his national side and his fingerprints have already been evident in a first win over the All Blacks in New Zealand, as well as only the second victory over England at Twickenham.

“We are starting to play a faster game,” Albanese says, “with more options with ball in hand and I think that has been influenced by Felipe Contepomi’s last years in Leinster. They always aim to give the ball carrier multiple options and you can see that in what Argentina are trying to do.

“For Argentina, I think it was great that he went to Leinster. Last year, when Argentina beat Australia and England, and when they beat New Zealand in New Zealand, you could see the little touches of Felipe in their approach.”

So what of England? Albanese still keeps a close eye on the English game, domestically and internationally. Like many others, he is at a loss to explain what is ailing the 2019 runners-up, who come into the tournament ranked eighth in the world – equalling their lowest mark – and having lost five of their past six matches.

“From the other side of the world in Argentina, we wonder what is going on,” he says. “I watched them lose at home to Fiji last Saturday and just did not understand. When the rain came down, you would have thought it was perfect for them but they could not play the game that [head coach] Steve Borthwick had talked about when he came in.

“I lived in England and know the mentality. I had a great time and loved it there, but it is surprising to see them struggling because I think the team was in a better position at the start of the year than they are now. We will see in a week if they can change things around.”

To do so, England will need to beat an Argentina side who always save their best for World Cups in France.