Argentina

The draw for the 2015 Rugby World Cup has been made

Argentina are reaping the benefits of playing in the Rugby Championship according to Juan Manuel Leguizamón as his side prepare for Ireland this Saturday.

Rugby is often referred to as a global game, implying its tentacles stretch into every continent. In fact, it is global in appeal but it is far from globally competitive.

Here is my Autumn International Test Rugby Review following the weekend, from a New Zealand perspective.

The Rugby Championship 2012 is pretty much decided with the All Blacks hot favourites to win

The June International Matches leaves me wondering if there should be a Northern vs Southern Hemisphere rugby series at the end of the year, so some players who are injured now would still be available.

When I last wrote a Blog I was still in New Zealand enjoying what I can only describe as the best World Cup to have ever been played out!

Scotland slumped to an unfortunate defeat at the hands of Argentina in their third match of Rugby World Cup 2011

Scotland go into their penultimate Pool B game knowing that victory would all but guarantee them qualification for the knock-out stages

Argentina look to get their push for the World Cup quarter-finals back on track on Saturday afternoon as they face a Romania at Rugby Park, with the inhabitants of Invercargill hoping for a more engrossing affair than Scotland and Georgia offered up on Wednesday night.

England got a last gasp win against a tough Argentina side, thanks to a Ben Youngs try. Both sides had disappointing displays with the boot as Jonny Wilkinson missed 5 kicks and Argentina missed 6 kicks.

England will have 10 World Cup debutants in their starting XV when they take on Argentina in Dunedin on Saturday.

Earlier in the week it was announced that England will head into their Pool B contest against Argentina without the services of Captain Lewis Moody.

Wales entered the game in good spirits after a backs to the wall defensive effort and a piece of individual brilliance from James Hook saw them over the line against an England side sporting plenty of brawn but not enough brains

They shocked everyone at the 2007 RWC in France, first they beat the host nation in the opening game of the tournament, then they comfortably defeated the Irish and progressed to the semi-final

Kosuke Endo is an experienced and accomplished winger for Japan. Last year he scored a remarkable 5 tries in one game in the Asian Five Nations