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Pumas stick to bold plan against Wales

The Pumas won plaudits for their bold play during a Rugby Championship where they won just one out of their six matches but Hourcade believes Argentina, renowned for their forward power, are on the right path ahead of this weekend's clash in Cardiff.

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"We are in the middle of our process," Hourcade said.

"We are capable of playing anywhere on the field, but we are taking some bad decisions on the field. That is down to a lack of experience in a young team.

"But I prefer to have those type of mistakes. We play high-quality games all season, and it is a matter of time before we find the solution,"

He added: "We can see development in the players. We suffered in the first season [of Super Rugby] and have had to get used to playing against high-level teams throughout a season. But players are growing individually, and we need to capitalise on that.

"The [2015] World Cup team [Argentina were semifinalists] had a really good mix of youth and experience. That is what we expect to get in 2019 in Japan. That is what we are working for, and it is our main objective,"

Wales, thrashed 32-8 by Australia at the Principality Stadium last weekend, remain wary of the Pumas.

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"Argentina are consistent performers in the Rugby Championship," said Wales forwards coach Robin McBryde.

"They will be physical, they will be fast. They will have looked at our performance from last weekend, and we have got to put that right with regards to how we defend the threats they pose.

"Any loose kicks, they are going to look to run it back and try to create as much chaos as possible, which is the type of game they thrive on."

Agence France-Presse

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