Paul Tait

CO-FOUNDER / EDITOR / SOUTH AMERICA ... has been covering the sport since 2007. Former player, coach, and referee. Author on web and in print. Published original works in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Ele fala português / Él habla español.

Classic Rugby World Cup Qualifying Matches

This past Sunday’s Rugby World Cup qualifier between Spain and Portugal was highly memorable. Los Leones were 33-28 winners in Madrid. In winning the match Spain qualified for RWC 2023. France 2023 will be Spain’s second RWC and first since 1999. Following the conclusion of the contest there were many …

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Under the Michael Cheika Radar

The July 2022 Internationals will be a fresh page for Argentina. Los Pumas will be under the command of Michael Cheika. The Australian is proven to be an excellent coach; he took Australia to the Rugby World Cup Final in 2015 and won the URC and European Champions Cup with …

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Rugby Championship Preparing for Life Without South Africa

The Rugby Championship is preparing for life without South Africa. This is the reality despite today’s announcement that the Four Nations tournament has officially been signed to continue until 2025. Writing for the Daily Mail, Chris Foy says that South Africa are going to replace Italy in the Six Nations …

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The Next Argentine Coach?

The departure of Mario Ledesma as head coach of Los Pumas means a new coach will take charge of the team in 2022 and will coach the team to the World Cup in France in 2023. Who will be the new Argentine coach? The new coach could, in theory, be …

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Ten Polyfunctional Pumas in 2022

Individual attributes and the needs of a team can combine to see an established player moved to a different position. This happens everywhere from the amateur leagues to the test arena. If a player is ‘out of position’ at his club this may harm his chances of international honors; that …

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Argentina Depth in 2022 compared to the past

In 2021 Argentina played 12 test matches for a return of 3 wins, 1 draw and 8 losses. Mario Ledesma’s position as head coach was on the line; beating Italy was mandatory. The away win saw his contract extended despite the year ending with a record loss against Ireland. Los Pumas …

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South American historic feats unnoticed by World Rugby

South American rugby coaches made history in 2021. First, Esteban Meneses coached Uruguay to Americas 1. The Argentine made history as a North American country was unable to qualify for a Rugby World Cup as Americas 1 for the first time. Second, Chile are closer than ever to participating in …

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