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Pumas out to cement top spot in Pool D

Written by Ramaz Mitaishvili
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Argentina will be out to continue their ascendency in world rugby (now fourth in the latest IRB World Rankings), while Georgia are looking for their first rugby world cup win when the two sides meet in their Pool D match on Tuesday at Lyon's Gerland Stadium. The Pumas, who kicked off their campaign in the best possible way defeating host nation France in the opening match of the RWC 2007, have announced six changes to their lineup. Four of the six replacements are due to minor injuries sustained during the match with France. Marcos Ayerza is in for Rodrigo Roncero, Rimas Álvarez Kairelis for Carlos Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Federico Martin Aramburu for Horacio Agulla, and Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino for Juan Martín Scelzo. The other changes are tactical. Martín Durand, a long-term member of the Pumas, will replace Lucas Ostiglia and Gonzalo Tiesi, the only member of the Pumas to play solely at outside centre, will replace Manuel Contepomi. In search of first RWC win Winless in their first rugby world cup in Australia four years ago the Lelos, with 11 of the 15 Georgian starters playing in their second world cup, hope to change that this time around. Scrum half Irakli Abuseridze admitted, "Our objective is Namibia. As for the rest, there's nothing to lose. So we just relax and play freely." Loosehead prop David Khinchagashvili, on the other hand, takes a slightly different line. "We know we will have a tough game on Tuesday (against Argentina). All the guys are really concentrating on it and it's really important for us to show a good game." Argentina's difficulty may lie in overcoming their fatigue with only four days to recover from the tournament opener. Georgia, on the other hand, will have to overcome first-match nervousness as quickly as possible. Georgia is expected to play to their strength keeping the ball close to the forwards, while Argentina have said they will look to vary their game-plan with more expansive play and less of the midfield kicks used to their advantage against France. !
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 11 September 2007 )