Rugby-Cubelli has skills to succeed Pichot for Argentina

By Rex Gowar LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Since their great World Cup performance in France in 2007 Argentina have been searching for a successor to their talismanic captain Agustin Pichot at scrumhalf. Tomas Cubelli has come closest to giving the Pumas what they need from a number nine and Australia's ACT Brumbies have taken note and enquired about signing him for the 2016 Super Rugby season. However, Cubelli has signed up with the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) to play for the Argentine franchise in the expanded Super Rugby championship. Cubelli, the son of former Pumas hooker Alejandro Cubelli, has shown the kind of cheek and speed of thought associated with Pichot since emerging at amateur club Belgrano Athletic in Buenos Aires. He was at the heart of Argentina's playmaking hub with flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez in only their second test partnership when the Pumas reached new heights to beat South Africa 37-25 in Durban in August, their first win over the Springboks at the 20th attempt. The 26-year-old's skills had already been appreciated enough for an invitation to play for the Barbarians against an England XV in June 2014 and an Australia XV at Twickenham last November. However, Pumas coach Daniel Hourcade has rotated two scrumhalves since he took charge nearly two years ago, Cubelli and Martin Landajo, who is almost exactly one year older and with 46 has eight more caps. They both symbolise the handing down through the generations of the Pumas legacy since Landajo is also the son of a former international, scrumhalf Tomas Landajo, who partnered the great flyhalf Hugo Porta in the 1980s. Both are going to their first World Cup having established themselves in the Pumas squad since Argentina entered the southern hemisphere's four-nation Rugby Championship in 2012 and both fulfil Hourcade's needs as the launchpad for Argentina's attacking game. "Whenever you play with this (Pumas) shirt you take it as a reward, it's something special for every rugby player who puts it on," Cubelli said. "I'm really happy... and also a little nervous," he told scrum.com in an interview before the upset win in Durban as he looked ahead to the World Cup. Cubelli does not know whether he or Landajo will be in the side for Argentina's Pool C opener against world champions New Zealand, the only top team they have never beaten, at Wembley on Sept. 20. Hourcade could do worse than pair him again with Hernandez in an attempt to mirror the 2007 partnership the flyhalf enjoyed with Pichot. (Editing by Mitch Phillips)