The Missing Pumas: 2016 and 2017

In July 2016 Daniel Hourcade announced his roster for the Rugby Championship. The 33-man roster saw the South Americans leaving out European-based players for the first time since joining the tournament. Gone were both established names and also potential newcomers.

Based on the status of players at the time the following team was a reflection of the top players not selected for the 2016 Rugby Championship.

#	Player	Club	Union
1	Marcos Ayerza	Leicester Tigers	England
2	Martín García Veiga	Vannes	France
3	Juan Figallo	Saracens	England
4	Manuel Carizza	Racing 92	France
5	Mariano Galarza	Gloucester	England
6	Martín Chiappesoni	Dax	France
7	Juan Fernández Lobbe	Toulon	France
8	Leandro Pérez Galeone	Bourgoin	France
9	Agustín Figuerola	Lyon	France
10	Patricio Fernández	Clermont	France
11	Juan Imhoff	Racing 92	France
12	Santiago Fernández	Pau	France
13	Marcelo Bosch	Saracens	England
14	Horacio Agulla	Castres	France
15	Martín Bustos Moyano	Bayonne	France

In 2017 the team is different. Argentine specialist rugby site, A Pleno Rugby listed the following players potentially being Pumas missing from the current roster.

FRANCE
Facundo Isa and Juan Fernández Lobbe (Toulon), Ignacio Mieres, Facundo Bosch (Agen), Benjamín Urdapilleta (Castres), Patricio Fernández (Clermont), Francisco Gómez Kodela (Lyon), Axel Muller (Oyonnax), Juan Imhoff, Manuel Carizza and Patricio Albacete (Racing 92), Segundo Tuculet (Narbonne), Martín Bustos Moyano and Juan Pablo Orlandi (Bayonne), Sebastián Poet (Colomiers), Santiago Iglesias Valdéz (Beziers).

ENGLAND
Juan Figallo and Marcelo Bosch (Saracens), Belisario Agulla, Juan Pablo Socino and Santiago Socino (Newcastle), Juan Pablo Estellés (Northampton Saints), Mariano Galarza (Gloucester).

ITALY
Serafín Bordoli (Zebre), Brian Ormson, Ramiro Finco and Juan Ignacio Brex (Viadana).

SPAIN
Gerónimo Albertario and Valentín Cruz (Ordizia), Agustín Schab, Luciano Leibson, Fernando Álvarez and Martín Altamirano (Independiente), Tomás Carrió (Valladolid).

Movement from 2016 to 2017 sees Horacio Agulla and Santiago Fernández back at Hindú while both Agustín Figuerola and Marcos Ayerza have retired. This means that all of Argentina’s leading scrum-halves are now undisputedly home based.

In some other positions the reserve has occurred. At hooker Martín García Veiga was the leading export a year ago. Today, however, both Facundo Bosch and Santiago Iglesias Valdez would be ahead of him. They are the third and fourth best Argentine hookers behind Agustín Creevy and Julián Montoya.

Props have returned to Argentina but have not joined Jaguares. Players off contract include Nahuel Lobo, Bruno Postiglioni and Guillermo Roan. But it is those who remain in Europe which Argentina miss the most. With Ayerza no longer playing a first-choice Pumas front-row would arguably see Figallo playing Loose Head prop and Gomez Kodela starting at Tight Head.

The Rugby World Cup 2011 second-rowers Manuel Carizza and Patricio Albacete are still active in the Top 14. Across in England Mariano Galarza is preparing for another season with Gloucester. If available Galarza would highly likely be on the plane to New Zealand this coming weekend.

Facundo Isa’s decision to return to France has been catastrophic for Argentina. Leonardo Senatore and Juan Manuel Leguizamón are 31 and 33 years old, Isa is 23. There is no debate that Isa is the best Argentine No 8 and is sorely missed.

Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe is playing his final season now for Toulon. He retired from Los Pumas in October 2015. Would he accept a call-up if asked? Probably, though Argentina is well served through Tomás Lezana, Pablo Matera and Javier Ortega Desio at flanker.

Patricio Fernández would be facing New Zealand on September 09 if available. Given the performances of Juan Martín Hernández and Nicolás Sánchez against South Africa there is a case to be made that Fernández would start.

Jerónimo de la Fuente and Matías Orlando have done well together as the Pumas centers. Would this be the case with Marcelo Bosch on the roster? Would Orlando keep Bosch out of the team? It would take a brave pundit to say yes. Moreover Juan Pablo Socino’s form last season would merit at least a place on the roster.

Juan Imhoff is Argentina’s most dangerous finisher. Tomás Carrió, Juan Pablo Estellés, Axel Muller and Segundo Tuculet have all left Argentina in the past year. All did so due to the strength that Los Jaguares have in the position. They are behind Emiliano Boffelli, Santiago Cordero, Manuel Montero and Ramiro Moyano.

Overall it can be concluded that the missing pumas is a stronger list now than a year ago. This is illustrated below in the potential starting line-up from Europe. If available M Bosch, Fernández, Figallo, Galarza, Gomez Kodela, Imhoff, Isa and Socino would all likely be selected.

#	Player	Club	Union
1	Juan Figallo	Saracens	England
2	Facundo Bosch	Agen	France
3	Francisco Gomez Kodela	Lyon	France
4	Manuel Carizza	Racing 92	France
5	Mariano Galarza	Gloucester	England
6	Martín Chiappesoni	Dax	France
7	Juan Fernández Lobbe	Toulon	France
8	Facundo Isa	Toulon	France
9
10	Patricio Fernández	Clermont	France
11	Juan Imhoff	Racing 92	France
12	Juan Pablo Socino	Newcastle Falcons	England
13	Marcelo Bosch	Saracens	England
14	Axel Muller	Oyonnax	France
15	Martín Bustos Moyano	Bayonne	France