Montero Added to Pumas Roster

Manuel Montero has been added to the Pumas roster to face New Zealand. Argentina will play host to the no 1 team in the world this coming Saturday in Buenos Aires.

The 26-year-old will train under Mario Ledesma for the first time. Following injury complications in 2015-2017 Montero walked away from his UAR contract last year. This saw him playing club rugby for Pucará rather than Super Rugby for Los Jaguares.

In his absence Ledesma utilized Emiliano Boffelli, Sebastián Cancelliere, Bautista Delguy, and Ramiro Moyano as his wingers in Super Rugby. In place of Joaquin Tuculet, Boffelli is now playing fullback while Moyano will not face New Zealand this weekend.

The non-involvement of Montero has enabled Delguy and Moyano to thrive this year. Yet with Moyano sidelined the return of Montero comes at the required moment. Ledesma has opted for him rather than a European-Based player such as Santiago Cordero (Exeter Chiefs) or Juan Imhoff (Racing 92).

Montero’s inclusion sees him replacing Santiago Álvarez Fourcade. It comes as a result of the latter being sent off in an URBA Top 12 club match on Saturday. Playing for CASI against Newman Álvarez Fourcade would be disciplined during the fixture and must now drop out of the roster to face New Zealand as a result.

Álvarez Fourcade has three test caps. They came in 2013 against Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay as a center. Montero has 27 caps and they have come at an impressive return of 16 test tries. He would only play once for Los Pumas in 2017.

Also added to the roster is Matías Osadczuk. The 21-year-old is uncapped but brings with him an established reputation. Last year World Rugby named Osadczuk as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series Rookie of the Year.

Both Matías Osadczuk and Manuel Montero will now join wingers Cancelliere and Delguy as well as utility back Juan Cruz Mallía in pushing for selection for the 11, 14, and 23 shirts to face New Zealand on Saturday in the Rugby Championship.

ARGENTINA ROSTER
Forwards: Matías Alemanno, Agustín Creevy (capt.), Diego Fortuny, Santiago García Botta, Ramiro Herrera, Marcos Kremer, Tomás Lavanini, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, Tomás Lezana, Pablo Matera, Santiago Medrano, Julián Montoya, Javier Ortega Desio, Guido Petti, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Juan Pablo Zeiss

Backs: Gonzalo Bertranou, Emiliano Boffelli, Sebastián Cancelliere, Tomás Cubelli, Jerónimo de la Fuente, Bautista Delguy, Bautista Ezcurra, Santiago González Iglesias, Martín Landajo, Juan Cruz Mallía, Manuel Montero, Matías Moroni, Matías Orlando, Matías Osadczuk, Nicolás Sánchez