New South Wales rugby coach Ian Kennedy was "hopeful" of retaining his position for next year as he prepared to face the NSW board on Tuesday, just a few hours before the Waratahs' season-ending clash with Argentina.

Kennedy will present his plan for 2001 to the board at 3pm, minus players representative John Welborn, less than five hours before the Waratahs tackle the Pumas at the Sydney Football Stadium. The board will discuss Kennedy's position at its meeting next Monday.

Kennedy, who wants to fulfil the second year of his contract in 2001, admitted a win over Argentina would boost his prospects. The Waratahs chances of a victory were helped when the tourist announced their team. The only members of the team which started last Saturday's first Test against Australia to be named in tomorrow's run-on side were backs Felipe Contepomi and the Diego Albanese and forward Gonzalo Longo Elia.

Irrespective of whether Kennedy survives, NSW have bolstered its player retention program by agreeing terms with Wallaby lock Tom Bowman for two more years and prop Jason Reilly for one more season. In addition, NSW is believed to have agreed to terms with former Waratahs and Wallaby backrower Fili Finau who has been playing overseas, and is negotiating with captain and centre Jason Little.

Kennedy said NSW was currently discussing terms with five-eighth Tim Donnelly and prop Matt Dunning, who was successfully blooded in the recent national championship, and was still looking for more backrowers and outside backs.

While NSW only finished ninth in the recent Super 12, Kennedy pointed out it finished with more points than last year and was in a similar position to the Crusaders prior to their three-year title run.

"I think it's at a stage now where we are definitely rebuilding. We were unlucky in a sense not to make the semi-finals," Kennedy said. "I'm not making excuses saying we should have, but we were in it to the second last round mathematically and we blew our chances ourselves.

"It's not as if we got beaten by big scores and really got dusted and missed the semis so we know we are close contenders."

Kennedy insisted team spirit and morale was good despite the rumblings of player dissention near the end of the Super 12, which prompted him to seek support from the board.

Kennedy said his greatest fear about Tuesday's game was that the Waratahs would field a very young and inexperienced front row of props Dunning and Al Baxter and hooker Mark Crick against the traditionally strong scrummaging Pumas.

"We obviously want to reduce the number of scrums in the game, but it is a good test for them," Kennedy said.

NSW: Manuel Edmonds, Scott Staniforth, Marc Stcherbina, Nathan Grey, Nigel Waugh, Christian Warner, Sam Payne, Nick Gregorski, Keith Gleeson, Stu Pinkerton (capt), John Welborn, Tom Bowman, Al Baxter, Mark Crick, Matt Dunning. Reserves: Peter Miller, Peter Playford, Chris Whitaker, Ben Dunn, Peter Besseling, Phil Tyler, James McCormack.

ARGENTINA: Diego Albanese, Jose Nunez Piossek, Jose Orengo, Juan Fernandez Miranda, Facundo Soler, Felipe Contepomi, Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Hugo Dande, Gonzalo Longo Elia, Martin Durand, German Llanes, Raul Perez, Julio Garcia, Agustin Canalda, Leopoldo del Chazal. Reserves: Jose Cilley, Diego Giannantonio, Octavio Bartolucci, Roberto Grau, Federico Mendez, Martin Scelzo, Fernandez Lobbe.

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