The Japan Times - Pumas' Imhoff to use Top 14 semi in Rugby World Cup selection bid

Imhoff, 35, made the last of his 42 Pumas Test appearances in September but missed out on the 2019 World Cup as he was based outside of Argentina.

The rule for foreign-based Pumas being picked for the side has now been scrapped and Imhoff is eyeing a place in Michael Cheika's set-up for the tournament in his adopted France, which starts on September 8.

"I still hope to be part of the Argentina squad and it's one of my motivations with the club," Imhoff told AFP on Tuesday.

"To be as good as possible with Racing to create doubts in the head of the Argentina coach.

"I'm not going to hide the fact that everything I do on a daily basis is to win a title with Racing but also I hope for a place in the national team," he added.

This weekend's last four ties, with La Rochelle playing Bordeaux-Begles on Saturday, take place in San Sebastian, across northern Spain from Barcelona where Racing won their last title, the Top 14 in 2016.

Since Imhoff arrived in the leafy south-western Parisian suburbs 12 years ago Racing have reached the domestic semis on four occasions, the last time in 2021.

"When you're at Racing 92, if you've just signed or have been here for a long time like me, you know you play to be in finals, it's the minimum expectation," Imhoff said.

"The truth is that the minimum for Racing is to be far from where we have been," he added.

- 'Peak' -

At Real Socediad's sold-out La Reale Arena Imhoff's side will face a Toulouse outfit who finished top of the table after the regular season.

Despite their impressive league form this season the record 21-time French league holders are still smarting from losing a second straight Champions Cup semi-final to Leinster in April.

"Toulouse are ultra-motivated," Imhoff said.

"We're expecting to be at our peak," he added.

In the other knock-out fixture, La Rochelle will take to the field less than a month after beating Leinster to a second Champions Cup title in as many seasons.

"This team is capable of playing even better than that," their head coach Ronan O'Gara told L'Equipe this week.

"The players claimed a Champions Cup double, and they'll remember that forever.

"But this squad is just getting started, there are a lot of opportunities to win titles in front of us," the former Ireland fly-half added.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Toulouse v Racing 92 (1905)

Saturday

La Rochelle v Bordeaux-Begles (1500)

T.Sasaki--JT