Dubai: Rugby minnows Argentina, who finished third at the 2007 World Cup, could have yet more surprises up their sleeve in New Zealand, according to former Springbok scrum half Joost van der Westhuizen.
"I wouldn't say I back them to win but I back them for a solid performance. That's what happened last time out when they suddenly went through top ten and top six — based on their brilliant World Cup in 2007 I'd like to see what they are capable of doing this time around." The 40-year-old 1995 Rainbow Nation World Cup winner is in Dubai as a panellist on OSN's (Orbit Showtime Network) World Cup coverage.
Eventual winners at the last World Cup, South Africa, were the only side able to hold back the South American amateurs, who were Pool Stage knock-outs in all but one previous World Cup.
In 1999 Los Pumas as they are better known made the quarter-finals losing to France 47-26. After beating Ireland in a play-off and seeing off Samoa and Japan in their group, they lost to Wales.
However, 2007 saw Argentina top their pool after wins over France, Ireland, Georgia and Namibia; they beat Scotland in the quarter before falling foul of South Africa 37-13. A third place play-off with France ended 34-10 in Argentina's favour. In an unprecedented move The El Superclassico derby between River Plate and Boca Juniors was re-arranged so fans could watch the rugby instead.
But former England centre, Jeremy Guscott, Westhuizen's co-panellist for all 48 games on OSN between tomorrow and October 23, writes off Argentina "I don't think they have the same emotion or passion as they did four years ago as amateurs. It was that momentum that pulled them through..."
But Westhuizen countered that with "...the World Cup is not about the past, it's about what's happening now. It's easy to say they've only been together three weeks but what's happened in those three weeks."
Scott Gibbs, former Wales centre, also panelling on OSN, admitted: "Argentina starve the opposition of the ball...but they couldn't upset or slip up South Africa, nevertheless to finish third was a huge feat."
