Argentina will be hoping to blow out the cobwebs during the Rugby Championship © Getty Images

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Main Issues

Argentina's strength often becomes their weakness against leading opponents, as they can become restricted by a limited game plan that excludes the obvious ball-running talents of players such as Joaquin Tuculet, Juan Imhoff, Horacio Agulla, Marcelo Bosch, Juan Martin Hernandez, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino and Manuel Montero outside half-backs Tomas Cubelli, Martin Landajo and Nicolas Sanchez; that's a backline highly capable of using the ball supplied by their pack.

Squad Strengths

Argentine rugby is known for nothing but the technical strength of their scrummage, such that numerous fantasy teams will undoubtedly include random Pumas props and hookers for no reason other than nationality. The Pumas are also known for a playmaker or two who kicks like a laser-assisted burro from hand or tee, a good kick-chase and an excellent breakdown game. But they have more to offer, causing increasing issues for their Rugby Championship rivals, and their first victory in that tournament - against Australia in Mendoza in 2014 - also featured ball in hand with Juan Imhoff in particular dangerous.

Injury Concerns

Pumas fans right now are in clover with no injury clouds or off-field dramas surrounding any of their key players. All is good at present.

What the locals are saying

Argentine rugby is bursting with expectation, with the Pumas recording their first Rugby Championship win and defeating an albeit woeful France in Paris, with the Sevens side having secured qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the under-20 side performing well - and pushing New Zealand - at the world championship in Italy. The Pumas are expected well beyond Argentina to qualify from Pool C behind New Zealand before taking on France, Italy or most likely Ireland in the quarter-finals. Coach Daniel Fourcade has said he found a team "full of internal problems, divided" when he inherited the job in November 2013. Fans now have justifiably increased hopes about the team he has built.