This isn't fair, say Pumas

Reuters | Thursday, 27 September 2007

Argentina hooker Mario Ledesma, determined that the Pumas should progress as winners of the toughest pool at the World Cup, remarked on the unfairness of the draw.

The Pumas lead Pool D ahead of hosts France and Ireland, all three sides among the top six teams in the world, going into the final round of matches on Sunday when one will be eliminated.

"In any other zone, the team that wins the hardest match takes first place. In this one, we've already beaten France and we're still not even qualified," Ledesma told reporters.

Ireland are in the worst position, needing to win with a four-try bonus point and prevent Argentina from taking a bonus for losing by seven points or less when the sides meet at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

The 34-year-old, who reached the French championship final with Clermont in June, said Argentina must go for a fourth win in the pool.

"We must take advantage of the situation we find ourselves in, so we have to aim at finishing first (in the pool)," Ledesma said. Winning the pool means avoiding title favourites New Zealand in the quarter-finals.

He said that at a meeting in 2004, leading players and the coaching staff vowed to change the Pumas' approach from trying to lose by as little as possible to thinking of winning.

"And that's borne out by the results we've obtained from the moment on."

Ledesma, captain Agustin Pichot and lock Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, who all reached the quarter-finals with the Pumas in 1999, are set to equal Lisando Arbizu's World Cup appearances record of 11 matches on Sunday.