Argentina innovate with notable Rugby Championship roster

Argentina has ticked boxes with a notable Rugby Championship roster. Mario Ledesma appears to have learned lessons from 2019 and opted for innovation for 2019. Los Pumas were eliminated from RWC 2019 at the group stage; the worst result since 2003.

Ledesma’s roster for RWC 2019 was Jaguares-centric. Three players were selected from abroad: Juan Figallo (Saracens, UK), Nicolás Sánchez (Stade Français, FR), and Benjamín Urdapilleta (Castres, FR). The remaining 28 were all Argentine-based.

There were both notable missing names and notable inclusions. The message was loud and clear: to be selected from abroad one must be clearly better than the Jaguares equivalent. The selection policy was transparent, though it was subjective. Was Matías Moroni used out of position to enable three centers to start or was he simply better than Juan Imhoff and Santiago Cordero? The simple answer is playing for Los Jaguares brought rewards.

COVID-19 has resulted in a player exodus. Of the Jaguares starting XV that competed in the 2019 Super Rugby Final fourteen players are now either abroad or linked to moves. There is now no preference given to Jaguares’ players.

Ledesma’s 45-man roster contains 32 players who are presently preparing in Uruguay. They will travel to Australia on Sunday, October 04. Upon arrival in Australia the players will enter quarantine. The European-based players will join them on Monday, October 19. The Rugby Championship will begin on November 07.

The roster was originally going to contain 46 players. It was reduced to 45 today with Matías Moroni ruled out through injury.

 

2020 RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – ARGENTINA ROSTER

LOOSE HEAD PROP
Ignacio Calles (Pau, FR)
Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Jaguares)
Mayco Vivas (Jaguares)
Federico Wegrzyn (Ceibos)

HOOKER
Facundo Bosch (La Rochelle, FR)
José Luis González (Ceibos)
Julián Montoya (Jaguares)
Santiago Socino (Jaguares)

TIGHT HEAD PROP
Santiago Medrano (Jaguares)
Enrique Pieretto (Glasgow Warriors, UK)
Lucio Sordoni (Jaguares)
Juan Pablo Zeiss (Ceibos)

SECOND-ROW
Matías Alemanno (Gloucester, UK)
Ignacio Calás (Jaguares)
Rodrigo Fernández Criado (Ceibos)
Lucas Paulos (Jaguares)
Guido Petti (Bordeaux, FR)

FLANKER
Juan Martín González (u20’s)
Francisco Gorrissen (Jaguares)
Santiago Grondona (Jaguares)
Marcos Kremer (Stade Français, FR)
Tomás Lezana (Jaguares)
Pablo Matera (Stade Français, FR)

N8
Rodrigo Bruni (Jaguares)
Facundo Isa (Toulon, FR)
Joaquín Oviedo (u20’s)

SCRUM-HALF
Gonzalo Bertranou (Jaguares)
Tomás Cubelli (Jaguares)
Felipe Ezcurra (Jaguares)

FLY HALF
Tomás Albornoz (Jaguares)
Joaquín Díaz Bonilla (Leicester Tigers, UK)
Domingo Miotti (Jaguares)
Nicolás Sánchez (Stade Français, UK)

CENTER
Santiago Chocobares (Jaguares)
Lucio Cinti (u20’s)
Jerónimo de la Fuente (Perpignan, FR)
Juan Cruz Mallía (Jaguares)
Matías Orlando (Newcastle Falcons, UK)

WING
Sebastián Cancelliere (Jaguares)
Santiago Cordero (Bordeaux, FR)
Bautista Delguy (Jaguares)
Juan Imhoff (Racing 92, FR)
Ramiro Moyano (Toulon, FR)

FULLBACK
Emiliano Boffelli (Jaguares)
Santiago Carreras (Jaguares)