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Joel Sclavi is to depart Argentina. His destination is La Rochelle. He will join the Top 14 side ahead of next season. The move will follow the 2021 July Internationals when Argentina are scheduled to play host to Wales and Georgia. Before then Sclavi will play for Los Jaguares XV in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR).
Sclavi is uncapped. He was ruled out of playing test rugby in 2020 through injury. Had he been available then in all likelihood he would have played in the Tri Nations where he would likely have had a prominent role.
The 26-year-old returned from France to sign for Los Jaguares. The move proved successful as he fit in well and shot above the other tight had props to be a prominent weapon in the scrum. It was this area of the game that saw Sclavi highly praised.
Known as Toro (Bull), Sclavi developed into the player he is while playing abroad. He departed Mar del Plata for France in 2016. There he played in both the Pro D2 and Top 14 for Agen, Charente and Pau. It was at Pau where he trained under Andrés Bordoy. It was the former Puma and Pau front-rower that brought Toro to Los Jaguares.
Mario Ledesma’s initial roster for 2020 had three Jaguares tight head props. Sclavi joined Santiago Medrano and Lucio Sordoni. Juan Pablo Zeiss was also included. He plays both loose head and tight head. Both Medrano and Sordoni will continue their careers in Australia. They will play for the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby.
Both Australian-bound props received game time in the Tri Nations. They were behind Francisco Gómez Kodela (Lyon, FR). Gómez Kodela had an excellent tournament to firmly establish himself as Argentina’s leading tight head prop.
Sclavi and Zeiss will play in SLAR for Los Jaguares XV. They are two of the four tight head props on the roster. The others are 19 year-old Beltrán Salese and 20-year-old Esteban Sciandro. Both have played for Argentina u20 level.
Last month RMC Sport reported that both club and player have agreed to terms. Today Sud West confirmed that there is an agreement between the club and player.
La Rochelle is presently home to Argentine players Facundo Bosch and Ramiro Herrera. Bosch was on the Tri Nations roster and played in the historic win over New Zealand. Herrera is reported to be departing at the end of the 2020-2021 season.
