Santiago Carreras lines up against the champions of Europe with nobody giving his Gloucester team a chance.
The Argentina fly-half greets the news with a shrug. He’s seen odds like this before.
In Christchurch last summer before Los Pumas made history by beating New Zealand on Kiwi soil for the first time.
At Twickenham, three months after that, where Argentina had not defeated England since 2006. They put that right too, with Carreras try scorer and man of the match.
This might be the toughest challenge of all - and not just because Ronan O’Gara's Heineken Cup holders are 15-point favourites and have the backing of a capacity crowd.
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Gloucester have won once in the Premiership this year and last week even bottom club Newcastle, playing with a man short, knocked them off at Kingsholm.
The Cherry and Whites need all the positivity they can find and in Carreras they have a ready source.
Lionel Messi holds trophy aloft after Argentina won FIFA World Cup in December (AFP via Getty Images)Here is a player who believes the Rugby World Cup this autumn can see Argentina emulate the feat of Lionel Messi’s footballers in Qatar.
“No-one outside of Argentina expects us to win the cup,” said the 25-year old. “But I promise you this, we are coming for a big World Cup.
“Those wins over New Zealand and England came from really hard work so as long as we’re still improving I think we can achieve the World Cup. One hundred per cent.
Skivington: 'Santi is a brilliant player, one of the best in the Prem. His natural feel for the game and ability to find space and put people in it is very good' (Getty Images)"The footballers showed the people that Argentina can go as far as we want.”
It is worth remembering at this point that England are drawn in their pool. Also, that the last time rugby's World Cup was held in France the Pumas finished third, beating the host nation not once but twice.
For French rugby to be given another bloody nose this evening is going to take some doing. Gloucester boss George Skivington describes La Rochelle as a “team of rugby rock stars who do very special things”.
Gloucester coach George Skivington (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)As a player Skivington was on the wrong end of arguably English rugby’s greatest upset when champions Wasps, coached by Warren Gatland, lost at home to 750/1 ‘no-hopers’ Pertemps Bees in the 2004 Powergen Cup.
“I’ve put that game way to the back of my mind,” he said with a grimace. “I vividly remember Gats’ conversations afterwards. He was very upset.
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“The beauty of sport is anything can happen. We learned that that day. This is an almighty challenge, probably an even bigger ask than that game was for Pertemps Bees.
“But if you’re willing to put your body on the line and go somewhere dark and fight for every inch you’ve got a chance.”
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