Argentina XV picks 7s players for Chile

Pablo Bouza has made wholesale changes to his Argentina XV squad for their second match of the Americas Rugby Championship against Chile at the Estadio Bicentenario in San Juan on Saturday. More than half the team that finished in a 35-all draw against the US Eagles in Houston have been swapped out, with 13 changes all told. Of the new players, five have been added from the Pumas 7s squad that won the Plate in Sydney this past weekend.

Los Jaguares players Rodrigo Báez and Matías Orlando have both departed to train with the Super Rugby side, as well as the five members of the wider training group – props Felipe Arregui and Cristian Bartoloni, hooker Santiago Iglesias Valdez, second row Ignacio Larrague, and wing Tomás Carrió. No8 Santiago Montagner has dropped out due to injury suffered in the opening minutes of the match on Saturday, while reserve hooker Gaspar Baldunciel, flyhalf Domingo Miotti, centre Juan Cappiello, and reserve back Juan Pablo Estellés are the others left out.

Five members of last year’s u20 team have been called into the match-day squad. Prop Eduardo Bello, hooker Ignacio Calles, second row Ignacio Calas, no8 Santiago Portillo, and flyhalf Bautista Ezcurra are all named for the first time. Ezcurra, the captain of that side, has emerged as a key player of the Pumas 7s team. He is joined by teammates Santiago Álvarez, Rodrigo Etchart, Axel Müller, and Segundo Tuculet.

Further additions are prop Facundo Gigena, hooker Axel Zapata, loose forward Miguel Urtubey, and 19-year-old Gimnasia y Tiro scrumhalf Mauro Perotti. Gigena and Urtubey are graduates of the national u20 program, while Zapata and Perotti are new to this level.

FORWARDS
Eduardo Bello (Atlético del Rosario), Franco Brarda (Tala), Facundo Gigena (Tala), Enrique Pieretto (Córdoba Athletic), Roberto Tejerizo (Tucumán Lawn Tennis), Ignacio Calles (Liceo Naval), Axel Zapata (S.I.T.A.S.), Ignacio Calas (La Tablada), Marcos Kremer (Atlético del Rosario), Pedro Ortega (Universitario), Lautaro Bavaro (Hindú), José Deheza (Jockey Córdoba), Miguel Urtubey (Newman), Santiago Portillo (Los Tarcos)

BACKS
Lautaro Bazán (Córdoba Athletic), Mauro Perotti (Gimnasia y Tiro), Bautista Ezcurra (Hindú), Juan León Novillo (Tucumán), Santiago Álvarez (C.A.S.I.), Joaquín Paz (Córdoba Athletic), Rodrigo Etchart (S.I.C.), Axel Müller (Marista), Pedro Mercerat (La Plata), Segundo Tuculet (Los Tilos)