They have been able to take advantage of an empty week to get their players together to keep cohesive as the World Cup draws nearer.

Because of the Puma diaspora it is hard to get them free to play together as the clubs, paying for the players' services, expect them to play for them.

The Pumas are scheduled to play Northampton Saints at Franklin's Gardens on the evening of February 7 and Leicester Tigers on the afternoon of February 11 at Welford Road.

In the week ending February 11 there are no Top 14 matches in France, no Heineken Cup or European Challenge Cup, no Premiership in England, no Magners League, no EDF Energy matches, no All Ireland League and so on. The only competition that weekend is France's Pro D2, the second division of professional rugby.

So important players like Felipe Contepomi, Juan Martin Hernández and Agustín Pichot are free to play.

There are still some missing - Mario Ledesma, Gonzalo Longo, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Omar Hasan and Federico Todeschini, for example. They all play for Top 14 sides, except Fernandez Lobbe who plays for Sale Sharks.

Six of the 27 players play in Argentina - Agustín Greevy, Pablo Gambarini, Juan Francisco Gomez, Hernán Senillosa, Federico Serra Miras and Nicolás Vergallo. 13 play in France, six in England, and one each in Ireland and Italy.

Pumas touring team: Patricio Albacete (Toulouse), Rimas Alvarez Kairelis (Perpignan), Marcos Iván Ayerza (Leicester Tigers), Lucas Borges (Stade Français), Marcelo Bosch (Biarritz Olympique), Manuel Carizza (Biarritz Olympique), Felipe Contepomi (Leinster), Ignacio Corleto (Stade Français), Matías Cortese (Northampton Saints), Agustín Creevy (San Luis), Tomas De Vedia (Saracens), Alberto Durand Martín (Montpellier), Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe (Sale Sharks), Martín Gaitán (Biarritz Olympique), Pablo Gambarini (CASI), Juan Francisco Gomez (Los Matreros), Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino (Capitolina), Juan Martín Hernández (Stade Français), Juan Manuel Leguizamon (London Irish), Ostiglia Lucas (Agen), Augusto Petrilli (Bourgoin), Agustín Pichot (Stade Français), Rodrigo Roncero (Stade Français), Hernán Senillosa (Hindú Club), Federico Serra Miras (San Isidro Club), Gonzalo Pedro Tiesi (London Irish), Nicolás Vergallo (Jockey Club).