Argentina head coach Daniel Hourcade views the Pumas' punishing schedule as the temporary but necessary cost of developing into a heavyweight of the game. A total of 50 long haul flights have been racked up in 2016 by players representing their country in the Rugby Championship and the Jaguares in Super Rugby, the latter clocking 64,000 miles in air travel during the competition. "The travel has been really tough, really hard, but on the other hand it's what we expected when we started all this," Hourcade said. At times they have to be reduced so the players go into games in good condition. Argentina have lost six of their last seven matches and finished bottom of the Rugby Championship, but Hourcade refuses to wave the white flag against England.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 26, 2016 01:36 UTC