Martin Landajo: Daniel Hourcade deserves coaching award

Daniel Hourcade's nomination for World Rugby's coach of the year award has vindicated Argentina's focus in recent years on expanding their attacking abilities and style according to Martin Landajo.

Scrum-half Landajo has hailed Pumas head coach Hourcade's influence across the course of the 2015 World Cup, with Argentina reaching their second ever semi-final, both of which have come in the last eight years.

Argentina lost out 29-15 to Australia in last weekend's last-four clash and now face South Africa in Friday's third-place playoff at the Olympic Stadium.

Hourcade is the forth member of the quartet nominated for the prestigious coaching award alongside New Zealand's Steve Hansen, Australia's Michael Cheika and Japan's Eddie Jones.

"I have been working with Daniel for five years," said Landajo.

"He is a great coach, as are the rest of the staff, and his nomination is well deserved. He brings us confidence.

"When he arrived he said be confident that we can play good rugby. The best thing he has done is change our mentality."

Former New Zealand coach Graham Henry helped Hourcade shape Argentina's new attacking blueprint during time spent with the Pumas in a consultancy role in 2012.

The Pumas can now boast that along with their dominant scrummaging ability they have a complimentary threatening, free-running, and expansive wide game.

Hourcade has made nine changes from the side knocked out by the Wallabies last weekend ahead of the Springboks bronze-medal clash.

Agustin Creevy is not fit to take part so fly-half Nicolas Sanchez - the tournament's top points-scorer – will captain the side.

The likes of Marcos Ayerza, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Horacio Agulla will play their last match for Argentina this weekend, with the trio not eligible for national selection afterwards due to them rejecting the chance to join the Pumas' new Super Rugby franchise.

But Landajo has vowed Argentina will still throw everything at chasing third place, despite the frustration of missing out on a first World Cup final appearance.

"We were all feeling down after the semi-final but the coaches told us it is amazing we are playing for third position," said Landajo.

"All that pain should be used this week because we have had a great World Cup and now we need to finish on a high."