• • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Stumble Upon
  • Furl

Argentina Sevens coach Nicolás Fernández Lobbe is under no illusions that his side are very much in a transitional phase.

Following the high of reaching a World Cup final in Dubai earlier this year, Argentina have had to rebuild their side in preparation for the Dubai Sevens which kicks off in a month’s time.

The Argentineans took the Rugby World Cup Sevens by storm in March, defeating title favourites South Africa in the quarter-final stage and then getting the better of Kenya to reach the final, where they were eventually downed by 80-1 outsiders Wales.

But the South Americans paid the price for their success at that incredible tournament, with four of the players from that side being snapped up by the national 15s team.

“We have to build up a new team after the one that finished second in the Rugby World Cup Sevens last March was dismantled. Four of them have already been promoted to Los Pumas and four more to the Jaguars [the two premier 15s sides in Argentina],” explained team coach Nicolás Fernández Lobbe, who is in his first season as head coach of the Sevens side.

Since the end of the last season's IRB World Sevens Series, the Pumas have been in action at the World Games and the Namibia Sevens.

“Argentina’s goal is to finish in the top five at season’s end which given that we are starting a new team will be hard. We always start a tournament with the goal of reaching the Cup, and that is our initial aim in Dubai,” he added.

Argentina have been grouped with former series champions New Zealand, last year’s Bowl winners Portugal and France in Pool D. “In the IRB Series any team in the top eight, even the core 12 nations, are all very even and each game is very hard. We have New Zealand in our pool in Dubai, but anything can happen to us or to them,” said Lobbe, who has played in Dubai three times himself. His last tournament for Argentina (his 20th) was the Wellington Sevens in 2007.

“Dubai is a fascinating city. It was a shock the first time I went there how modern and luxurious it was. Another thing that always strikes us is the number of travelling fans that go to Dubai for the Sevens,” reckoned the coach.

“We are looking forward to welcoming back the team from Argentina to the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens. They proved in March that they have what it takes to go right to the top and even though they have a fairly new team for this tournament, I have no doubt they will once again put in an impressive performance with their always-exciting brand of rugby,” said Gary Chapman, President Group Services and Dnata, Emirates Group.