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Argentine Head Coach Mario Ledesma has made wholesale changes for the end of year tour to Europe. He has named six uncapped players and has dumped a number of veterans.
Regulars from the Daniel Hourcade years Ramiro Herrera, Santiago González Iglesias, Juan Manuel Leguizamón and Leonardo Senatore have all been dropped. The decision casts serious doubt over the playing futures for all of them for Argentina.
Ledesma has opted not only to leave them at home but to also select six uncapped home based players. Rodrigo Bruni, Santiago Grondona, Santiago Carreras, Lucio Sordoni, Mayco Vivas and Joaquín Díaz Bonilla have all been selected on the 31-man roster.
Ledesma’s team will play matches on November 10, 17, 24, and December 01. The fixtures on consecutive Saturday’s mark Argentina’s final multi-match tour before RWC 2019. The matches see Los Pumas up against RWC 2019 rivals France in addition to the world no 2 Ireland, Scotland and the Barbarians.
Ledesma cut his roster from 38 to 31 for the tour. The seven players to miss out on playing in Europe are Ramiro Herrera, Santiago González Iglesias, Manuel Montero, Matías Osadczuk, Lucas Paulos, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, and Leonardo Senatore.
Not among the 31 players are Europeans. Ledesma has exclusively selected players from Argentina. This includes the non-selection of Ramiro Herrera (Stade Français) who as the only European-based player involved in the training camp in Buenos Aires.
The requirements of the tour may yet see the status altered. Moreover Argentine players involved in the European leagues are to play again this weekend.
The tour will see the debut of Pablo Matera as captain. He is not surrounded by many survivors from RWC 2015. Ledesma’s roster contains 13 players from RWC 2015 – Matías Alemanno, Agustín Creevy, Tomás Cubelli, Jerónimo de la Fuente, Santiago García Botta, Martín Landajo, Tomás Lavanini, Pablo Matera, Julián Montoya, Matías Moroni, Javier Ortega Desio, Guido Petti, and Nicolás Sánchez.
ARGENTINA ROSTER
Forwards: Matías Alemanno, Rodrigo Bruni, Agustín Creevy, Santiago García Botta, Santiago Grondona, Marcos Kremer, Tomás Lavanini, Tomás Lezana, Pablo Matera (capt.), Santiago Medrano, Julián Montoya, Javier Ortega Desio, Guido Petti, Lucio Sordoni, Mayco Vivas, Juan Pablo Zeiss
Backs: Gonzalo Bertranou, Emiliano Boffelli, Sebastián Cancelliere, Santiago Carreras, Tomás Cubelli, Jerónimo de La Fuente, Bautista Delguy, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Bautista Ezcurra, Martín Landajo, Juan Cruz Mallía, Matías Moroni, Ramiro Moyano, Matías Orlando, Nicolás Sánchez
FIXTURES
Saturday November 10 Ireland vs Argentina, Dublin
Saturday November 17 France vs Argentina, Lille
Saturday November 24 Scotland vs Argentina, Edinburgh
Saturday December 01 Barbarians vs Argentina, London
