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New Argentina Head Coach Mario Ledesma has confirmed his coaching staff. Less than two weeks out from the start of the Rugby Championship the now former Jaguares Head Coach has finalized his staff.
Ledesma confirmed on Scrum TV that former Pumas scrum half Nicolás Fernández Miranda and outside center Martín Gaitán are joining the staff. Completing the team is Pablo Bouza, an assistant coach under Daniel Hourcade from 2013.
Bouza is to be the lineout coach while Fernández Miranda and Gaitán make the step up from Los Jaguares to Los Pumas. The duo were Ledesma’s support staff in the Super Rugby campaign.
The new regime has little time to settle in. Los Pumas face South Africa in Durban on August 18. Confirmed is Agustín Creevy and captain bit the players are yet to be confirmed publicly.
Ledesma has requested Juan Figallo (Saracens) and Ramiro Herrera (Stade Français) for the Rugby Championship. The UAR has green-lighted their involvement and Ledesma is now awaiting confirmation as to when they can join up with the team.
The remainder of the roster will be the same as that which played under Ledesma, Fernández Miranda, and Gaitán in Super Rugby. As such the 28 players who went to South Africa last month for the final rounds of Super Rugby are expected to be similar to the roster to open the Rugby Championship.
From the roster hooker Diego Fortuny and loosehead prop Javier Díaz are the likely absentees. Fortuny was emergency cover for Julián Montoya who was in doubt through injury while Díaz is now out for the rest of the year.
