Q&A with Gus Pichot

Skysports.com talks one-on-one with legendary Argentinean scrum half Gus Pichot...

Pichot shares his thoughts ahead of England clash

It's not every day you get to talk to an Argentinean legend, so we wasted no time in snapping up the opportunity to speak to legendary scrum half Gus Pichot. The now retired Stade Francais and Bristol half back is an icon for Argentinean rugby, winning two French titles on his way to playing 75 Tests to his country, not to mention captaining the Pumas to that historic victory over Andy Robinson's England at Twickenham. Now, as England prepare for the testing arrival of the Pumas once more on Saturday, we spoke one-on-one with Pichot to get the lowdown on Argentina...and his thoughts on Martin Johnson's England...

Hi Gus, great to hear from you ahead of the weekend...
I cannot wait for the weekend's game at Twickenham, in fact, the whole week will be exciting. Will you be involved in preparations in any way?
No I'll just be enjoying the build-up, I'll go and watch the Argentina team train, and then I'll be commentating on the game on Saturday. Hopefully we'll be in for a good day! Did you watch England v Australia?
I did. It was a strange match, Australia were very defensive early on and allowed England to attack, so I was a bit disappointed with the Wallabies. I actually think England were quite good, things didn't always come off but they tried a lot of things. Do you see England improving under Martin Johnson?
I saw England last year and I still maintain that they are trying to find their style of play. They are changing players frequently because of injuries or because of experimentation, and I think Johnson is currently at the stage of trying to create the DNA of the team - the style. There seems to be a lack of quick ball at the moment...
You're right, but again I think it is just a case of working on the understanding between the players, gaining that timing. It's about how they meet at the point of contact at the breakdown, it's very difficult to adapt, it's all about experience and that comes with playing games. If Johnson can develop that, England can hurt you a lot. So Johnson just needs to give players time to get used to one another...
I agree 100 percent. You have to remember, Australia had played something like eight games in two months but England hadn't played any. That happens to Argentina quite a few times a year. Having played scrum half yourself, how difficult is it to create opportunities with slow ball?
Very tough. You have to be very creative around the ruck, you have to draw defenders towards points of contact in order to create space. Again, it's down to combinations, Jonny [Wilkinson] and Danny [Care] just need to play more, and the same goes for the back row. For fast ball it is all about the link between the back row and nine and 10, and by gelling together they will get to where they need to be. Hopefully this won't happen against Argentina! How highly do you rate Jonny Wilkinson and how is he seen in Argentina?
Jonny is one of the best players in the history of rugby. Unfortunately we haven't seen enough of him since the World Cup success, maybe the weight of expectation explains his injuries. He is the absolute model of a sportsman who gives 100 percent, I have tremendous respect for him. Is Wilkinson the man Argentina fear?
Definitely. Whenever he plays, he's usually the best player in an England shirt. I fear him a lot. Which players in the Argentina side should we fear?
As always with the Pumas, the front row will be...interesting! In the backline, Lucas Amorosino is a good player, and the number 10 Santiago Fernandez as well. What shape are Argentina in?
We've lost a lot of experienced players but that's no problem, we're working hard to show we're still a good team, and games like Saturday will be a good indicator of how our big players can cope with big-game pressure ahead of the World Cup. Where is your weakness?
Experience. We have none. Some of the players have never been to Twickenham before and some have barely played for the national side. When you're in an atmosphere like Twickenham, that could prove tricky. You captained Argentina to that famous triumph at Twickenham in 2006, how much did that victory mean to you?
That victory was massive. At that time we were fighting a battle against the board with regards to gaining entry into the Tri-Nations, and this was an England team full of players I respected a lot. England is a country that has given me everything so it was a truly special moment of my life and the team's life. Saturday is more important for development, everything is geared towards the 2011 World Cup, making sure we arrive as prepared as possible. So this game is different, but victory would still be a little piece of history. Do you see Argentina winning?
I'm always positive! Would you put money on it?
I would of course! Although in truth I think England are ahead of Argentina at the moment. Not officially, but in my own personal view England are better than Argentina. We are developing, and hopefully it will be different come the World Cup. Is a place in the Tri-Nations crucial to that development?
It's that or nothing. If we don't get that place, we won't develop for the next 200 years. We need to get into the Tri-Nations as a matter of urgency, it is urgent for the entire development of Argentinean rugby. If you do gain entry, can you see Argentina ruling the world one day?
Of course! [laughs]. If I didn't dream about that, I wouldn't be fighting for it. I had the dream in 2007 but it didn't happen, so hopefully in the next 10 or 20 years we can achieve it. Final question, what's your prediction for Saturday?
I never give a prediction! I didn't as a player and I won't be doing now! 'Gus Pichot is a studio guest during Sky Sports' exclusively live and high definition coverage of England vs Argentina Saturday from 2pm'