As a lacing wind whipped across Westhills Stadium, in a temperature of 5 degrees, Argentine rugby officials looked about as comfortable as anybody could who earlier this week left summer behind.
The weather is a chief storyline as Argentina and sa国际传媒 prepare for their Americas Rugby Championship tournament opener Saturday at 5 p.m. at Westhills in Langford.
鈥淲e came from 30 to 35 degrees. Hopefully, it鈥檚 not too big a change. But a major part of rugby is adaptation,鈥� said Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi.
鈥淲e are used to it from when we go to Europe, from our summer, during the November Test window.鈥�
All games in Americas Championship are Test matches except those featuring world No. 9 Argentina, which is fielding its national development side, including a core of players who won bronze last year in the U-20 world championship.
鈥淚f we do our job properly as coaches, hopefully, you will see these young players in Pumas [senior national team] jerseys sooner rather than later,鈥� said Contepomi, the former fly-half, who earned 87 caps for Argentina from 1998 to 2013 while scoring a Pumas-record 651 Test points.
鈥淭his is a great challenge for our young group to be facing in this tournament three teams 鈥� sa国际传媒, USA and Uruguay 鈥� who played in the last World Cup.鈥�
Yet, the fact these are future Pumas isn鈥檛 lost on anyone.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fair to say we are quite clearly the underdogs against a Tier 1 rugby nation,鈥� said Canadian head coach Mark Anscombe.
鈥淥ur goal is to be there at the end of the game. Argentina always has big, strong, fast players and play very physically.鈥�
Of the 29 Canadian players who have been preparing this week at Shawnigan Lake School, 20 have caps totalling 268, and nine are uncapped.
鈥淎rgentina is always huge and physical and abrasive,鈥� said Canadian captain Gordon McRorie, of the battle ahead Saturday.
鈥淭he home crowd advantage is going to be huge for us, especially during those dark times during a game when you are under pressure.鈥�
Then there is that other home advantage this time of year in sa国际传媒.
鈥淸Argentina players] left temperatures of something like 33 degrees. Hopefully this weather will be a shock to their system,鈥� said McRorie.
鈥淎 win Saturday would be a big step in the right direction for us. We had three wins in this tournament [against two losses] last year and want to build on that.鈥�
Argentina is wary.
鈥渟a国际传媒 looks on paper to be the toughest team we will face. We expect a very tough game,鈥� said Contepomi.
Argentina captain Lautaro Bavaro, 22, said the play up front will decide matters: 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a very hard game. Forward play is going to be very important. Whoever wins the battle of the forwards will win the game.鈥�
sa国际传媒 continues the Americas Championship with a game next Saturday at Westhills Stadium against Chile and another home fixture against the U.S. on Feb. 18 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. That will be followed by away Tests in Uruguay on Feb. 25 and in Brazil on March 4.
sa国际传媒 is preparing for the biggest Tests of the year 鈥� the two-game qualifying set in June against the U.S. to decide the North American berth into the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
