Eight years ago, in France, Argentina shocked the rugby world when they took third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, beating the host nation, France, twice along the way. Last time out Los Pumas won three of their four pool stage games before going out 33-10 to the eventual winners New Zealand in the quarter-finals.
This time, it's the All Blacks who'll be their toughest opposition in Pool C and that, in itself, means they have an excellent chance of progressing to the knockout stage. It's unlikely, though, that they'll go as far as they did in 2007 and a place in the second phase of the tournament will probably be the limit of their ambitions, despite a morale boosting victory against South Africa earlier this year.
Star man: Juan Martin Hernandez
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Nicknamed 'El Mago' (The Magician), Hernandez was signed by French Top 14 club Toulon last September, having already starred for the likes of Stade Français, Natal Sharks and Racing Metro. His brilliance lies in his versatility, as he's equally adept at fly-half, centre or full-back.
One to watch: Juan Imhoff
The 27-year-old wing showed his class in the historic defeat of South Africa in August, scoring a hat-trick of tries and overshadowing opposite number Bryan Habana. First capped as a 21-year-old in 2009, Imhoff marked that occasion with four tries against Uruguay.
Coach: Daniel Hourcade
With over 20 years of coaching experience, Hourcade is charged with returning Los Pumas to former glories. He has made a decent start, guiding them to their first win in the Rugby Championship last year when they beat Australia 21-17, and following that up with their stunning 37-25 victory in Durban this summer.
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