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French source Midi Olympique is reporting that Toulon has made an offer to Guido Petti. Furthermore it has reported that the Argentine second-rower will indeed leave Los Jaguares in the coming days to be unveiled as Toulon’s latest signing.
The contract is to be a two-year deal. This would mean that Petti would be off-limits to Los Pumas for a period 24-months. While he would be back in time for consideration for Rugby World Cup 2019 Daniel Hourcade would be without him for the duration of his time in France.
Americas Rugby News has learned that despite it being reported as official the player has not infact signed anything so far.
The news has nevertheless not been received well in Argentina. Apleno Rugby wrote that ‘the news fell like a bomb in on Monday morning‘. It follows the loss of Los Pumas 7’s star Axel Muller to the same club. Aged just 22, Muller cannot be considered Hourcade. At 21, Petti is even younger.
The 108KG Petti played his 13th test match for Argentina on Saturday. He was surprisingly left out of the starting XV as Hourcade opted for the bulkier Matías Alemanno. The two players join Tomás Lavanini in making up Hourcade’s preferred second-rowers.
At Rugby World Cup 2015 Petti and Lavanini started the majority of the matches together. Gloucester’s Mariano Galarza saw off Manuel Carizza to make the roster. Suspension, though saw Galarza rules out after the opening weekend of the tournament.
Neither Galarza nor Carizza have been considered for internationals duty this year. Their absence is part of the UAR’s new policy of restricting international selection to those based at home. The one exception in the Rugby Championship is Tomás Cubelli who plays for the Brumbies.
Should Petti officially join Toulon then the UAR would be in serious trouble. In addition to Petti, Lavanini and Alemanno Juan Cruz Guillemaín is there only remaining second-rower contracted to the union. He is out of action following shoulder surgery. This has seen teenager Marcos Kremer fast-tracked from Los Pumitas into the senior squad.
