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Argentina return to the scene of their Rugby World Cup Sevens success in Dubai this week as the 2009/10 IRB Sevens World Series starts on Friday. The Puma’s finished runners-up behind Wales at Sevens’ fifth World Cup back in March, but head back to Dubai with a much changed team.

The likes of Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, Agustin Figuerola, Martin Bustos Moyano, and Martin Rodriguez have all been busy with the 15-a-side squad on their Northern-Hemisphere in recent weeks and won’t be in Dubai.

Leading IRB Sevens try-scorer Santiago Gomez Cora is also not included and brother Pablo Gomez Cora, who captained the side last year, is another missing.

The Pumas finished fifth overall in last season’s Series, but new coach Nicholas Fernandez Lobbe has been forced to rebuild a new side following retirements and players making the move to the 15-a-side arena.

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 was the Wellington Sevens in 2007.

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.

“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.

Much will be expected from returnees from last year Hernan Olivari and Martin Nunez LaSalle but the coach says his squad possesses experienced players that just lack international exposure.

“They are players who have a vast experience, but never have played all together as one. Our work will be together has been good and they have incorporated the system.

“Nowadays all the teams are pretty even and if one faces a top ten ranked side it is difficult to know what the result will be. It is necessary to play to them in the same way all the time, but accounting for particular characteristics of the opposition, but without leaving our style or system too much”.

Argentina Squad for Dubai and George:
Mariano Baud, Santiago Bottini, Nicholas Bruzzone, Dino Tomas Caceres, Gonzalo Gutierrez Taboada, Juan Jose Imhoff, Martin Nunez La Salle, Hernan Olivari, Tomas Passeroti, Santiago Piccaluga, Joaquin Todeschini.