Argentina have wasted little time in appointing a new head coach with Daniel Hourcade promoted to the top job.
Santiago Phelan’s decision to step down from his post two months before his contract was due to expire left a void at the top which needed to be filled, with the Pumas about to embark on a three-match tour of the northern hemisphere.
And the Argentine Rugby Union (ARU) have acted quickly in promoting Hourcade from his post as coach of Argentina’s B Team, the Argentina Jaguars.
Phelan stepped down earlier this week after more than five years in charge of the South Americans, with a poor recent record cited as the reason for his departure.
The Pumas failed to win any of their games in the Rugby Championship, with an overall record of 13 wins, one draw and 31 defeats under Phelan.
Hourcade will have little time to work with his new charges before they take on England, Wales and Italy but he comes into the job with plenty of success behind him with the B Team.
He has led them to four consecutive titles in the Americas Rugby Championship while also guiding Argentinian club side Pampas XV to the final of South Africa’s second tier Vodacom Cup back in 2011.
The ARU want Hourcade to take the national side through to the 2015 World Cup and will get a feeling of how they are progressing after the upcoming internationals, with a clash against England at Twickenham on November 9 kicking off proceedings.
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