Leinster backs coach, Felipe Contepomi has not had any official contact from the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) regarding a head coaching job with the national team he once captained.
His name was among several along with Gonzalo Quesada that have been linked to the position. Mario Ledesma surprised the UAR, when he resigned earlier this month just 19 months before Argentina compete in the Rugby World Cup in France.
“There’s not much I can say,” said the former Argentina outhalf. “From the union, no one contacted me. I think it comes more from a rumour or something.
“From what I read in the news, I haven’t heard anything official from the union publicly. I have as much information as you. I think it’s more of an estimation because they put the names of Argentinian professional coaches, which is not that many, so that’s how they chucked them into it [the story]. But there is nothing obvious that I know.”
Although Contepomi said he has been enjoying his current role alongside head coach Leo Cullen, Stuart Lancaster, Robin McBryde, Emmett Farrell and Denis Leamy, he does see the lure of a head coaching position as a challenge and something that would interest him.
“Look, obviously international rugby is the pinnacle for coaching. But having said that, I always say in this profession, it’s very, very difficult to draw a pathway,” said Contepomi.
“If even Messi, the best player ever maybe, couldn’t even decide his future, imagine what it’s like for us! I am really happy here. I have got one more year contract. I am happy, I think I am lucky I am in an environment that many people would like to be in. I am just focusing on the present. It’s something that we always ask the players to do, so if we ask them to do it, we have to do it ourselves.
“I feel I am doing that here in Leinster. If an opportunity comes up to become a head coach or something else, I will definitely take it into account and I’ll discuss it. It’s always very open here and that’s the good thing with Leo and Guy [Easterby, rugby operations] , whoever I have to talk to.”
Obvious potential
Argentina has been in a state of flux since the reforming of Super Rugby, when the Jaguares lost their franchise to play. The Jaguares joined Super Rugby in 2016 as the competition’s first Argentinian representation.
While it took a couple of seasons for the players to adjust to the competition, the team achieved a second-place finish in 2019, highlighting the obvious potential they had to offer the rugby world. Dropping them had rugby stakeholders shaking their heads.
“With this pandemic there’s definitely been a dynamic that has changed rugby worldwide in terms of Super Rugby not being there anymore,” said Contepomi. “Argentina lost their franchise.
“All the players are playing in Europe and now South Africa, with all the rumours – and I don’t know how true or not they are –- about them [SA] moving into the Six Nations in the medium term after 2025. So you don’t know where it’s going.
“I think it’s a challenge,” he added. “Now, when you face that, the first thing you have to do is see the reality and when you do that you find challenges and you try to make the best with that. I’m sure that whoever takes over, Argentina will analyse that and see how they can best get there for the World Cup.
“But yeah, there are challenges there. It’s definitely not as smooth as other countries in terms of organisation. But it’s the way it is.”
