Argentina, kick-started by a promising World Cup 1999, have come on leaps and bounds in the build-up to this year's tournament and have to be considered dark horses.

After beating France 2-0 in a Test series this summer on the back of other promising results against Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England in recent years, they have proven they can mix it with the established nations.

Los Pumas, as they like to be called, are now worthy of their place in the bracket of top teams at the World Cup.

Rugby in Argentina is not, however, a recent phenomenon. The game has been played in the country in some form or another since 1873 and they have given all the major rugby-playing countries a run for their money at various times.

It is only now though that they have emerged as genuine and consistent performers on the world stage.

The amateurs who impressed during the last tournament in Wales provided the catalyst for what has followed and marked the country out as a global power.

In 1999 they downed Samoa, Japan and then famously Ireland before being ousted by eventual finalists France.

Italy, Wales, Scotland and France themselves have all been beaten since, New Zealand held to a draw and South Africa taken to within four points.

Foreign sides may find it difficult to play in Buenos Aires but the trickle of impressive one-off results has now become more of a steady stream.

Argentina are punching above their weight no longer.

They are fully paid-up members of the top flight.

Squad: Patricio Albacete, Diego Albanese, Rimas Alvarez, Pablo Bouza, Felipe Contepomi, Manuel Contepomi, Ignacio Corleto, Martin Durand, Martin Gaitan, Roberto Grau, Omar Hasan, Juan Martin Hernandez, Mario Ledesma, Fernandez Lobbe, Gonzalo Longo, Rolando Martin, Federico Mendez, Juan Fernandez Miranda, Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Jose Orengo, Lucas Ostiglia, Santiago Phelan, Agustin Pichot, Jose Maria Nunez Piossek, Gonzalo Quesada, Mauricio Reggiardo, Rodrigo Roncero, Martin Scelzo, Hernan Senillosa, Pedro Sporleder.