'I believe': New Los Pumas coach Michael Cheika says Argentina can win World Cup
Newly-appointed Los Pumas boss Michael Cheika believes Argentina are capable of becoming the world's best side at next year's World Cup in France.
That's the verdict he delivered in his first press conference as Argentine head coach since succeeding his former colleague Mario Ledesma.
Cheika has assumed the role of Los Pumas boss less than 18 months out from the 2023 World Cup at a time when Argentine rugby is at one of its lowest points in decades.
Despite a first-ever win over the All Blacks and two drawn matches against the Wallabies in Australia two years ago, Los Pumas endured a horror campaign last year, winning just three of their 12 tests between July and November.
As such, Ledesma called it quits and was replaced by Cheika, who worked as an advisor to Ledesma over the last two years after having served as his head coach during their time at the helm of the Wallabies.
Cheika brings with him plenty of experience to the Argentine role, but he has plenty of work to do to turn the world's eighth-ranked team back into World Cup contenders by next September.
World Rugby's 2015 Coach of the Year has no shortage of confidence in making that happen, though, as he told Argentine media that he will enter that tournament with the aim of winning the Webb Ellis Cup in Paris.
“We don’t go into any match, any competition, any tournament, without targeting winning," Cheika said.
“Why else do you play if you aren’t going to target winning? What, you want to go and play to come sixth or to come fourth? All of that is just to make you feel good. Maybe you make a quarter-final to feel good.
“Where are we today? We’re certainly not in No 1 position in the rankings, but what I want to do is work smart, get players engaged in improving their level, make them believe that they can go further to achieve those goals and play your best every weekend, and see what happens, because I believe.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe, it matters what the boys believe, but I believe.”
Cheika, who guided the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final before overseeing a dire four-year period that ended in a World Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of England in 2019, will begin his quest with Los Pumas in two months' time.
For the first time in three years, Los Pumas will play a home test in Argentina when they host Scotland across three tests during World Rugby's July international window.
They will then host the Wallabies in what will be a blockbuster pair of home games to open their Rugby Championship campaign, before embarking on a two-test tour of New Zealand and finishing with home-and-away fixtures against the Springboks.
After a European tour where Argentina will face England, Wales and Scotland in successive tests, Cheika's focus will then narrow in on France 2023.
Given the mountainous task of trying to win a World Cup amid an international climate where more than half a dozen of the world's best teams could beat each other on their day, few - if any - will expect Los Pumas to win next year's tournament.
Most would say it would be difficult for Argentina to even eclipse their best-ever finishes of semi-final exits, which they achieved in 2007 and 2015.
In fact, Los Pumas may have a fight on their hands to just get out of their group, as they are placed in Pool D alongside perennial heavyweights England, the ever-threatening Japan and a Samoan outfit that could be overhauled by World Rugby's new eligibility laws.
Even if they do make it into the quarter-finals, a knockout match against any one of Australia, Wales or Fiji beckons, while a semi-final could pit them against the All Blacks, Springboks, France, Ireland, Scotland or even a new-look, potentially all-star Tongan team.
Considering where Los Pumas currently stand in the global scheme of things, the prospect of World Cup glory in France is unlikely at best, but Cheika remains firmly optimistic about Argentina's chances.
“I just try my best, use my experience, and try to have a good process in making good decisions and then help players get better and the support team get better, and then trust them to go and play good rugby," he said.
“That’s the foundation of a good team is when we trust each other.
“I’m the type of person who is going to give you trust straight away and if we keep it, we go further. I don’t know if that makes me the best candidate, but they’ve trusted me to do this job and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”
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It might be legal but he’s sailing pretty close to the wind. Not a lot needs to go wrong for Finau to end up in the bin. Was it late? Not quite, but borderline. High? A couple of CM within the laws, no room for error with that one. Did he wrap the arms? There was a token effort to wrap one arm, the intent was clearly to hit with the shoulder. So yeah, it’s legal, just. But as we all know, a very slight change in the dynamics could easily have him seeing red. Hopefully not when it really matters.
Go to commentsYou forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time. For Rassie, a loss is never a loss because he uses it as a chance to learn and improve. Sometimes during a game, again like the England match in last year's Semi Final.
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