Pumas coach Santiago «Tati» Phelan, who steered Argentina to the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, has been handed a new two-year contract.
«Tati’s appointment as trainer confirms our interest in ratifying his tenure, which was extremely satisfactory from various points of view,» Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) president Luis Castillo said.
«Now is the time to continue working to improve day by day and face a new calendar with a lot of activity,» he said in a statement issued by the UAR.
The Pumas, third at the 2007 World Cup in France, went out in the quarter-finals to hosts and eventual champions New Zealand at the tournament.
Ranked seventh in the world, they will make their debut in a major annual competition next year when they take part in the new southern hemisphere championship with Australia, New Zealand and South Africa which is replacing the Tri-Nations.
Never before have they faced a year with 12 test matches, having had to sit by and watch the Tri-Nations and Six Nations from afar and make do with only six matches, three in each of the year’s two test windows.
Fellow former Pumas Fabian Turnes, Mauricio Reggiardo and Marti Gaitan will continue as Phelan’s coaching staff.
Daniel Hourcade was confirmed as coach of the Pampas XV, a reserve side that won South Africa’s Vodacom Cup unbeaten this year.
buenosairesherald.com