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Argentine tighthead prop Lucas Martínez will stay on in France for the duration of the 2015-2016 season The 26 year old confirmed with ESPN Scrum that he has signed a new deal with Castres to remain playing for the Top 14 club until the end of the current season in June. He initially joined the 2013 French champions as a medical joker to bolster the roster during the World Cup.
The Lomas Athletic front-rower has played representative rugby for Argentina but never at test level. Earlier this year he played for the Pampas XV in the World Rugby Pacific Challenge, featuring in five matches.
Aged 26 Martínez is a long-term option for Argentina and he will be back in time to be considered for international duty. Los Pumas will host both Italy and France in June before playing in the Rugby Championship.
The health problems which saw Matías Díaz missing the World Cup mean greater options are to be explored at tighthead prop. Veteran Juan Pablo Orlandi was called up ahead of Martínez due to the former not being under contract during the World Cup with a European cluib.
Martínez played this past weekend, coming off the bench for Castres in the team’s 32-29 win over the Newport Gwent Dragons, the former home of Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro. Still early into his career in Europe Martínez Tetaz Chaparro and Ramiro Herrera are both back from Europe contracted to the Argentine Super Rugby franchise.
Martínez is open to a return but is also very happy in Europe and interested in remaining there for an extended period. For now he is focusing on performing for Castres and would love to stay even longer but admits that the ultimate desire is Los Pumas. Indeed he told ESPN Scrum “my dream is to play in a World Cup.”
