Much to look forward to

There will be much to look forward to in 2012 for the Springboks. Not least because of the inauguration of the new Rugby Championship tournament, which is set to replace the old Tri Nations.

This will undoubtedly create much excitement among Springboks fans and even those looking at top casinos online, in the knowledge that they, Australia and New Zealand will be welcoming a new participant: Argentina.

The Argentina national rugby team has seen its progress somewhat stunted in recent years due to the lack of quality opposition in their part of the world. Many of the top European teams can challenge one another in the Six Nations each year, and the aforementioned Boks, Wallabies and Kiwis have traditionally had their annual Tri Nations.

Adding a fourth team will not only add that extra degree of competition, but will pose many questions surrounding the future of international rugby. Indeed they will be exciting and challenging ones at that.

Of course many will look at the addition of Argentina to the former Tri Nations as being something only beneficial to the new boys. Possibly, but there is no harm in an extra bit of healthy competition, and if this helps to promote rugby union in some of the other Latino countries, there surely can be no complaints.

So how is it all going to work? Well, the competition is all set to run on a home and away basis, much like its predecessor. In previous years, however, teams have played one another three times, apart from the World Cup years of 2007 and 2011.

That will all change now. Teams will only play each other twice, as the tournament will once again revert to a double ‘round-robin’ format.

In recent World Cups, the Argentines have made quite an impact. Although not quite up to the standards of their fellow southern hemisphere teams, they certainly have bold ambitions to one day match them.

In 2007, Argentina finished in a remarkable third place at the World Cup in France. They managed to make it all the way to the semi-final, before finally being eliminated by none other than South Africa. It was their best ever performance at a World Cup.

Despite not having the remarkable outcome of 2007, the 2011 tournament in New Zealand was another memorable occasion for Argentina. Having progressed from a group which contained England and Scotland, Los Pumas were eventually knocked out at the quarter final stage.

That was against New Zealand, but it was a much closer affair than many anticipated. It was Argentina who initially took the lead through Juan Farias Cabello, before the eventual tournament winners went on to win the game 33-10.

Nevertheless, it was a gritty performance and one that suggested that Argentina would have the capability to compete among the likes of Australia, New Zealand and of course South Africa.

They will go into 2012’s Rugby Championship full of hope. It is almost certainly not a competition they can expect to win just yet, and anything other than the wooden spoon surely would be a grand achievement for them. But watch out everyone, this is a team on the up, and they will not be afraid to take a few scalps.