The clamour for Argentina to be included in the annual Tri Nations tournament continues to grow and quite right too.

At present the southern hemisphere heavyweight triumvirate of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa battle it out every year on a home and away basis and it is a tournament which provides some of the most thrilling combat on planet rugby.

Argentina remain outsiders looking in and their exclusion from such a meaningful annual competition means that for every step they take forward they must subsequently take two back.

The Pumas stunned everyone at Rugby World Cup 2007, beating hosts France in the opening match of the tournament and then advancing all the way to the last four before finding eventual champions South Africa a hurdle too far.

However, they certainly left France with heads held high and no doubt anticipating that their new exalted status would lead to inclusion in an expanded Tri Nations.

Argentina has produced many stars over the years, with many of the current batch plying their trade in the top European leagues, but since the last World Cup the Pumas seem to have been in decline, failing to hit the heights they attained in 2007.

They deserve the chance to shine regularly on the international stage in order for their players to continue to develop. Their continued exclusion from the Tri Nations is plain wrong.