Pumas are the real winners of the Rugby World Cup

I would like to quote what Agustin Pichot stated to the press after winning for a second time to France, having masterminded Argentina's stunning run here, Pichot knows it is time to bow out at the top. "I'm not a very talented footballer and in the last four or eight years I've given everything and especially for the last three and a half months I gave everything and a little bit more," he said. "I couldn't achieve any more than this. I would prefer to end my career like this for a lot of reasons." I could carry on but it wouldn't be right for my history. I will probably play one more time in Argentina to say goodbye but this is for sure the last time I play in Europe." Pichot also paid tribute to this golden generation of Argentine rugby players, whose achievements may never be surpassed - and that despite continually being shunned by both the Six Nations and Tri-Nations competitions, depriving them of regular top level competition. "It's the end of a great period and a great time in Argentine rugby. This has been the end of one of the best sporting stories. It's a great group, a special group and everyone will always remember the 2007 Argentina rugby team." Pichot also paid tribute to the special spirit in the camp. The Argentine players have impressed everyone with their solidarity and togetherness and this match was no different. "This match was a psychological thing. I spoke with the players before the match and said that it's like a boxing match. In the last three or four rounds when you are tired physically and your arms and legs don't respond but you have to reach into your heart," he said. "Our team was very tired like France after a hard World Cup but Argentina searched deep inside and waited for the right moments to change the game.”That's the rugby I like a lot. We're not the All Blacks but we can certainly play good rugby." Coach Marcelo Loffreda took charge of his final Pumas game against France and will now head to England to take over Leicester Tigers. But he was proud of his team's exploits here. "We're very proud with regards the performance in the match and everything the team did," he said. "In the end we showed that without a doubt we are the third best team in the world and we can state that with complete authority." The Pumas are the only team in the whole world that they had found the lost spirit of rugby as Mick Cleary of the Daily Telegraph wrote in that London paper, They had played not only with a great strategy, but with all their hearts and soul, they were knights of ancient times, were they went to war for God and country, they played in France for the cause of those who were formed under rugby amateur rules, which are still in practice in Argentina. Perhaps technically the Springboks are much better, but it is undisputed that our Pumas played the most beautiful rugby during the World cup. I saw them in Paris crying after loosing with the Boks, but in just four days their high spirit and moral help them to react and smashed France to win the third place, which was so far much more important than the English second place, because they played beyond all the preconceptions of Europeans, New Zealanders, Aussies, South Africans and others. I remember quite well the irresponsible statements of Australia and France’s coaches, both said that Pumas play not real rugby. Now as most of the commentators are saying they deserve to play in the great leagues, in my opinion they should play in Europe, I share what Marcelo Loffreda said yesterday to The Times. Felipe Contempomi prefers the Tri Nation cup, I don’t agree, we are much more comfortable in Europe, our roots are there, we learned rugby from Scots and Irish 150 years ago. Again for all what I said the Pumas were the best team of the Cup.