KEY POINTS:
PARIS - Veteran Pumas captain Agustin Pichot has challenged world rugby chiefs to make some "tough decisions" regarding Argentina's dream of playing in an annual major international championship.
And the 33-year-old scrum-half also warned rugby union administrators that proposals to cut the World Cup from 20 to 16 teams would mark the "end of rugby" as a truly global game.
Pichot led Argentina to their first World Cup semi-final here Sunday, the Pumas ending the monopoly on last four spots enjoyed by southern hemisphere powers New Zealand, Australia and South Africa and established European nations France, Wales, England and Scotland.
Although Argentina lost 37-13 to South Africa, who will face defending champions England in the final when they return to the Stade de France on Saturday, there was no denying their progress.
Argentina, since their agonising one point defeat to Ireland at the 2003 World Cup in Australia, have climbed the world rankings and now lie fourth despite not playing in either of rugby union's two leading annual events - the southern hemisphere's Tri-Nations and Europe's Six Nations.
Just last week Syd Millar, chairman of the International Rugby Board (IRB), said Argentina had been "neglected" and that a place should be found for them in an expanded Tri-Nations as there was no room left in European rugby's showpiece event.
But Millar, like many a supporter of Argentina's advance, stressed it was "not in the gift of the IRB," to get them into either competition.
For Pichot, whose last appearance in a 12-year Puma career could come in Friday's third place play-off against France at the Parc des Princes - across the road from the home ground of Paris's Stade Francais, whom the No 9 helped win the French Championship last season, the warm words were all too familiar. "The press conference in 2003, if you listen to it, which I have in the last month, was exactly the same.
"We lost against one of the best teams around, Ireland, by one point. In the following years we played just 20 matches in four years - and we have the most successful team in the history of Argentinean rugby.
"We beat, or we came close to beating, all the other (major) teams in the world," Pichot, whose team defeated hosts France 17-12 in the opening match to get this World Cup off to a dramatic start, recalled.
Travel costs have often been cited as reasons for Argentina's relatively meagre diet of Test matches.
But Pichot, set to join his second Paris team in Metro Racing having also played club rugby in England, as well as his homeland, said the balance sheet could not be the only test.
"Rugby at the moment has to make a very tough decision, one in a more romantic, non-profitable way."
Before this event, there were calls for the number of teams taking part in four years' time in New Zealand to be cut from 20 to 16 in a bid to reducce the thrashings which had blighted the five previous World Cups.
But it has not just been Argentina making waves in France.
Fiji produced one of the most thrilling World Cup displays of all-time in defeating Wales 38-34 to reach the last eight after the likes of emerging nations Georgia, who ran Ireland desperately close, and Tonga had shone during the first round.
That Fiji then lost in the quarters, to South Africa, was no disgrace. They exited this World Cup at the same stage as Australia and New Zealand who, between them, have won the Webb Ellis Trophy three times.
"Reducing the number of countries from 20 to 16 would be the end of rugby," said Pichot.
"We want Argentina, Fiji and the rest of the countries to have a chance to be on the stage.
"Two of the greatest teams in the world (Australia and New Zealand) have gone home in the quarter-finals.
"It's time to look and say where do we want to go? Do we want to go for more open rugby or will there just be a six or 10 country tournament?
"You know my answer, I want rugby to be for everyone, not just a few."
- AFP
