Move over, soccer. For once, there's another sport grabbing the public's attention in Argentina.
Rugby has gained a brief foothold in the soccer-mad south American country with its national side, the Pumas, reaching the Rugby World Cup semifinals for only the second time.
Sunday's game against Australia at Twickenham is arguably the biggest in the history of Argentine rugby.
Media coverage has been unusually intense, with one of Argentina's top newspapers — Clarin — dedicating a special 12-page supplement to the rugby team's feats in Britain. With no soccer games this weekend because of the Argentine presidential elections, die-hard soccer fans will switch their attention to the oval ball to get their sporting fix.
As many as 25,000 Pumas fans are expected to be at the match.
"From what I hear in Argentina, there is a bit of a shock atmosphere about what we are doing," Argentina scrumhalf Martin Landajo said Friday at the team's training base southwest on London. "But in two weeks, they won't be talking about us."
If Argentina can upset the odds and — whisper it — go on to win the World Cup, Landajo may just be wrong about that.
Never before has there been this level of expectation on the Pumas.
The only other time Argentina reached the Rugby World Cup semifinals was in 2007, and the team simply wasn't ready for what was about to hit them.
"We didn't really know what we were doing," Agustin Pichot, Argentina's captain back then, recalls of the day his team went up against South Africa in Paris and was hammered 37-13.
Argentine rugby was largely amateur eight years ago. There was no depth to the national squad and the country's rugby structure. The Pumas stunned the world by reaching the last four — beating host team France along the way — but there wasn't a genuine belief they could go all the way.
This time, it's different. For Argentine rugby has moved on considerably.
A high-performance program set up in the months after the 2007 World Cup helped establish a clear pathway from the grass roots and amateur level in Argentina to the professional ranks.
Learned rugby men like New Zealand's 2011 World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry, former France scrumhalf Fabien Galthie and former All Black Jamie Joseph came on board as consultants, creating a different mindset among the Pumas. Domination in the forwards and a good kicking game — the hallmarks of Argentine rugby — was no longer enough. There had to be more creativity in the backs.
Most importantly, Argentina was granted permission to play in the southern hemisphere's annual Rugby Championship against the best teams in the world — New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. After a painful introduction in the inaugural championship in 2012, the Pumas are starting to hold their own. They beat Australia in Mendoza in 2014 and won away in South Africa this year.
All this explains Argentina's performances in Britain over the last month. Twenty-six tries in five games. A thorough dismantling of Europe's top team, Ireland, in the quarterfinals.
Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe is one of two players in the current Pumas team that started the semifinal against South Africa in 2007. He's sure there won't be stage fright this time.
"I think there's definitely less of a surprise factor this time," Fernandez Lobbe said Friday. "We have been playing four years in the Rugby Championship so it means we have already played seven times against the Wallabies before Sunday.
"It definitely gives us more confidence. We expect a little bit more now. Eight years ago, we were very excited and very happy (to be in the semifinals) but it was a rarity that we were playing a team like South Africa."
Argentina soccer great Diego Maradona came to watch the Pumas beat Tonga in the pool stage, and sang and danced with Argentina's players in the changing room afterward. Maradona might be at Twickenham on Sunday, too.
The Pumas have been playing with a smile on their faces all tournament. There have been tears during the pre-game national anthem. The players' pride at representing their country is evident, perhaps more than any other nation at the World Cup.
"When we were young, we just wanted to play for Argentina, we didn't want to earn money from or live off rugby," said Landajo, who was playing amateur rugby four years ago. "That's why we really feel our shirt differently from others.
"Our government is not that good. We have a bit of trouble with them. So people try to focus on sport for an escape and a happy feeling."
Win or lose on Sunday, Argentina's players will keep smiling. They know no other way.
"I don't know anything about rugby, but I'm excited to watch the Pumas against Australia," said Pascual Romero, a 42-year-old carpenter in Buenos Aires. "I wouldn't miss the game for anything."
___
Associated Press writer Vicente Panetta in Buenos Aires contributed to this report.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.