Stortoni happy to keep watching brief

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 22:51

THE focus in Murrayfield this afternoon will be fixed firmly on Scotland's bid for three wins in a row and no-one in the home camp need concern themselves with how Argentina might be faring right now.

However, Bernardo Stortoni is one player who is viewing this international from both sides of the fence, having retired last year from Argentina's international picture with 27 caps to concentrate on helping Glasgow Warriors in the Magners League and Heineken Cup. He is now very settled in Glasgow's West End with his wife and children.

This afternoon, however, the 32-year-old full-back will be ensconced in the BBC studio at Murrayfield to watch his first Scotland-Argentina meeting since he stepped down.

"I think these games are always tough battles, so I will be glad to be in the studio," he said, laughing. "Scotland will be the favourites because they have lots of confidence at the moment and Argentina have lost two games, and we are missing a lot of our best players, but we always play with a passion and a pride that makes it difficult for teams against us.

"It has been interesting for me this week. I spoke with (Santiago] 'Tati' Phelan last year – I know him well because I played with him at San Isidro and for Argentina – and we felt it was time for me to step aside and let younger players develop in the team, and that is what this tour is about. It suited the team and it suited me, because it has allowed me to stay in Glasgow and not have to travel all over the world.

"But when I was visiting the players at their hotel this week I did have some funny feelings in the tummy; I did wish I was still playing. It was just for a few moments. You cannot play forever and it is important that younger players have the chance to come through and learn, and become good internationalists."

The Pumas today field a core of established internationals from skipper Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe at No8 to lock Patricio Albacete, who play for Toulon and Toulouse respectively, and props Marcos Ayerza of Leicester and Martin Scelzo of Clermont Auvergne. While the back three, Lucas Borges, Federico Arambaru and Horacio Agulla, have more than 70 Tests between them, so aerial assaults, both ways, will be intriguing.

However, without at least ten first-choice players due to injury, half of Argentina's 22 are still in single figures for caps. That inexperience is underlined in the middle of the team – the back row and inside backs – which could be crucial this afternoon.

Montauban blindside Alejandro Campos starts for the first time on tour, while Alejandro Abadie, the openside who plays for Rovigo in Italy, wins his fifth cap with a third consecutive start. They have the outstanding Lobbe between them to provide experience, but while 23-year-old stand-off Santiago Fernandez starts his third Test in a row, to earn his seventh cap, Alfredo Lalanne, a scrum-half at London Irish, returns for his fifth cap after playing just one minute of last week's defeat to Wales.

Martin Rodriguez, the goal-kicking inside centre, matches his opposite number, Alex Grove, however, in earning his third cap in successive weeks and his interception score in Cardiff may have given the Scottish centre something to think about.

The Argentina squad have also had the benefit of some extra coaching from Fabien Galthie, the former France scrum-half and captain on this autumn tour, and Stortoni is hopeful that that will help bring on some of the younger players.

"We still have the same problems as ever of too few internationals in which to develop teams," he said, with a shrugging acceptance. "We can only play six games a year, whereas Scotland can have between ten and 14 and other leading nations maybe 15, which has to improve teams quicker.

"But right now, I'm looking forward to this game at Murrayfield. Both teams have good defences, but both want to attack and move the ball more, rather than kick in this last game. And they both want to win very much.

"It will be good, but not easy for Scotland."