England must be wary of Argentina's man of many talents at World Cup

There are precious few Felipe Contepomis left in the modern game. It is his 34th birthday on Saturday and his achievements to date – practising doctor, seasoned Test fly-half, proud father of two daughters and fluent linguist – are already enough to make lesser men despair. Not many other leading international captains could truthfully claim, as Argentina's multi-dimensional skipper did this week, that "rugby is only a very small part of my life". To the average English and Welsh professional this is an alien notion. The other day Manu Tuilagi was asked what one thing he would save from a blazing house and replied: "My PlayStation 3." It might be worth him spending some time in Contepomi's company. It would definitely encourage a greater sense of perspective. For now, though, it is the Pumas who are the beneficiaries, possibly to England's cost. Argentina and England are due to meet in Dunedin in three weeks in their opening World Cup pool fixture. It will be a nightmare for Martin Johnson's team should they lose. Four years ago Argentina finished third in the 2007 tournament, beating the hosts France in the opening match. If they again start with a flourish, England would have to rely on beating Scotland to reach the last eight. It is a scenario the Scots might just relish more than the English. Suddenly, therefore, the mindset of the eloquent Contepomi is of pressing interest, both to Johnson and the Wales coach, Warren Gatland, before Saturday's warm-up Test at the Millennium Stadium. After the World Cup, when he will play in Paris for Stade Français, Contepomi intends to resume medical practice – he and his father, Carlos, have opened an orthopaedic clinic in Buenos Aires – but he is fully committed in the meantime to rekindling Argentina's passionate blend of brain and brawn and overcoming the inequalities which still dog the Pumas. Remarkably, given their status as the eighth-best side in the world, rugby in Argentina is still amateur. All their leading players, out of necessity, are based abroad, making it impossible for them to train regularly as a collective squad. Since the last World Cup they have played just 18 Tests against senior Test nations, losing 12. England, in contrast, have played 39. Quantity, though, does not always equate to quality and Contepomi points to last year's 41-13 win over France in Buenos Aires as an indicator of what a full-strength Pumas side could yet achieve against the odds. "You can see it as an injustice and moan about it or you can see it as a great opportunity," he says. "I think England are the best team in the northern hemisphere at the moment and they have a particular gift of performing well at World Cups. England are better than us and probably still will be after the game but the only thing that counts is the 80 minutes. Both England and Scotland are above us in the rankings but that doesn't mean the Pumas won't qualify for the quarter-finals. Argentina are like a question mark ... not even we know our potential." If Contepomi were in Johnson's position, there is no doubting the name he would ink in at fly-half on his teamsheet. Having played with Jonny Wilkinson at Toulon, he could not believe the flak Wilkinson received when England were struggling for rhythm last year. "If he's being criticised I think everyone should be. I can't believe it. He's one of the best players around the world. I've been lucky enough to train and play with him and he's a great professional and a great man. Jonny can do whatever game you ask him to do. If you ask him to run he's a good runner and a very good side-stepper. He's very good in defence, he's one of the best passers in international rugby and one of the best boots. Apart from that …" The clear implication is that England's management of Wilkinson is a bigger issue than Wilkinson himself. Privately the Pumas were as unimpressed as anyone else by England's attacking failings in Cardiff last week but Contepomi, after 70 caps and lengthy spells with Bristol and Leinster, knows better than to judge a team purely on a couple of warm-up games. That said, Argentina are keen to make a point at Wales's expense, if only to prove to themselves that their gnarled pack can still cut it. If the confirmed absence of the richly talented Juan Martín Hernández is a blow, the vital presence of their former captain and muse, Agustín Pichot, on the board of the national federation is some consolation. Next year Argentina are due to enter an expanded Tri-Nations and even the committee diehards will have no option but to embrace some kind of professionalism. "There is a section, particularly in Buenos Aires, who don't want professionalism to arrive," Contepomi says. "But other countries have experienced the same thing; we're just 15 years behind. It's no longer a question of 'if' we do it, it's 'how'. The Four Nations is only a two-month competition; that still leaves another 10 months to fill." If anyone can help make it happen, it is the inspirational Contepomi, the second-highest points-scorer at the 2007 World Cup. If England had him marshalling their backline, it is hard to believe they would exhibit the narrowness of vision they displayed in Cardiff. "My life is not all about rugby, it's more important to be a better person," he explains. "Doing something else gives you that perspective and a feeling of fulfilment … it's good for the mind. When I was younger maybe rugby took a bigger part in my life than it should have done. Now I think it's in the right place. It's just a sport. "I always say you should follow your dreams. If your dream is to be a doctor, rugby should not get in the way. If your dream is to do nothing in life, you have to know what the consequences of doing nothing are. If you want nothing, it's hard to look for something. Some people don't have a vocation; I always say life is tougher for them." England, and Wales, would be foolish to underestimate such an enlightened foe.