Finally getting the opportunity to play in a regular competition against top-tier nations would be "tough" but rewarding, according to former Argentina captain Agustin Pichot.
The Pumas, who finished third at the 2007 World Cup, end years of exclusion from competitions such as the Six and Tri-Nations when they play their opener in the Rugby Championship against the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday.
"It's tough ... the first word I said to you was it would be a difficult challenge," Pichot said at the Olympics. "It's going to be very difficult ... it's probably going to be the most difficult tournament in the world.
"Here you play week-in, week-out, 12 hours by plane and you have to see them all over again.
"To be fair, they come to you and they are the best ... so you are playing against the best three teams in the world, twice? [It's] tough."
After years of being neglected by much of the top-tier rugby nations, Argentina began more intense lobbying, pleading and negotiating to join either the Six, or Tri-Nations, following their 25-25 draw against the British and Irish Lions in 2005.
"In the last 10 or 15 years, we worked really hard on the pitch to gain respect so we could be part of an annual competition," the 37-year-old former scrumhalf said.