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Having been set to return to international rugby for the first time since September 2013 Juan Figallo has been training hard with his Pumas colleagues at the team camp in Sydney, Australia. His involvement in the Rugby World Cup appeared certain with a return to the test arena in the upcoming Rugby Championship set to remove any doubts over his fitness since overcoming a severe vertebral injury.
The injury occurred during a normal training drill involving a low level of organized contact. In the act of being tackled Figallo lost control of the ball and in attempting to regather it he turned and, in doing so, suffered the injury.
His return to test rugby is now in extreme doubt after he suffered a ligament injury in his left knee in training today. The extent of the injury is not yet known and his recuperation and treatment are to be evaluated by both UAR medical staff and members of his English club, Saracens.
Pending a decision his place in the World Cup is in doubt. The Salta front-rower is currently being assessed and has been in contact with Saracens over which action to take. There are, in effect, two possibilities – operate now or look to make a recovery without undergoing surgery.
The former option would see Figallo miss the World Cup and the start of the Aviva Premiership season but it would ensure a full recovery. Alternatively should Figallo undergo a physiotherapy regime he ought to be able to compete at the World Cup but there would be questions over the level of his fitness.
Should Figallo undergo surgery Head Coach Daniel Hourcade will need to reevaluate his plans for the World Cup. He currently has with him two specialist looseheads and three tightheads which means a replacement need not be called up for the test against New Zealand in Christchurch in fifteen days time.
In 2014 Hourcade utilized both Ramiro Herrera and Francisco Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro in place of Figallo and they are joined by Matías Díaz in the squad as tighthead props. Marcos Ayerza and Lucas Noguera Paz are the loosehead options with the Zebre bound Bruno Postiglioni being the most likely player to be called up if required though Francisco Goméz Kodela, Nahuel Lobo, Santiago García Botta, Guillermo Roan and Lucas Martínez are also options.
Should Figallo not appear in England and Wales ths year he would join Manuel Montero and Gonzalo Tiesi in missing the World Cup. Of the current squad in Sydney, Gonzalo Camacho, Santiago Cordero, Juan Martín Hernández, Pablo Matera and Joaquín Tuculet have minor injuries while back in Argentina, Gabriel Ascárate, Rodrigo Báez, Ramiro Moyano and Matías Orlando are all recovering.
