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Agustín Creevy has been retained as Pumas captain. The leader during the Daniel Hourcade years will remain skipper of Argentina in the new era under Mario Ledesma.
The decision comes despite Ledesma himself having not continued with Creevy as captain of Los Jaguares. For Super Rugby Ledesma preferred to have a separate leader which saw Pablo Matera as captain while Joaquín Tuculet, Tomás Lezana and Nicolás Sánchez were his under studies and all captained on occasions.
Creevy will lead out Los Pumas at Durban’s King Park on Saturday August 18. He will do so against South Africa in the opening round of the 2018 Rugby Championship.
The players who will join Creevy in facing the Springboks are presently being finalized. Ledesma’s first roster is to contain the same players involved in Super Rugby this year for Los Jaguares.
Unlike in the Hourcade years following RWC 2015 there may now be European-Based players back in the mix. Ledesma has himself made it known on record that he is looking to include props. The UAR has green lighted his request though neither the Head Coach nor union has indicated who these players are nor when they will be called-up.
Creevy’s partners in the front-row throughout the Super Rugby season were Santiago García Botta and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro. Enrique Pieretto missed the season due to injury while rookie Javier Díaz was injured after debuting for Los Pumas in June.
Super Rugby game time was also given to Felipe Arregui, Santiago Medrano, and Juan Pablo Zeiss. The trio combined with García Botta and Tetaz Chaparro are the home-based props inline to play in the Rugby Championship.
The names expected to be added by Ledesma are Juan Figallo (Saracens), Ramiro Herrera (Stade Français), and Francisco Goméz Kodela (Lyon). All are specialist Tight Head props though Figallo was a regular loosehead while at Montpellier. The leading specialist loosehead who may also be selected is Lucas Noguera Paz (Bath).
