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Argentina have made a bold move in calling-up Santiago Cordero from France. The 25-year-old joins Los Pumas from his new home of Bordeaux, doing so having stared last season for English Premiership side the Exeter Chiefs.
Cordero was named in the English Premiership Dream Team for the 2018-2019 season in May. At the time of being named Americas Rugby News noted that his form makes it very hard to ignore him for international duty.
The call has now come from Mario Ledesma as the heavy load on Jaguares’ players means that there is an urgent need for rest time for some ahead of the Rugby Championship.
Argentina will play host to New Zealand in Buenos Aires on Saturday July 20 and then play away to Australia in Brisbane seven days later. Those involved with Los Jaguares have been non-stop since the start of May.
The roster named to prepare for the Rugby Championship, and RWC 2019 contained seven players in Cordero’s positions of wing / fullback. They are Bautista Delguy, Sebastián Cancelliere, Santiago Carreras, Manuel Montero, Ramiro Moyano, Emiliano Boffelli, and Joaquín Tuculet. Also considered for wing is Matías Moroni while Juan Cruz Mallía was named by Ledesma as a center though is a fullback in Super Rugby.
Of the wing / fullback options Delguy has been out of action since March while Ramiro Moyano missed a month. Both men are now back to fitness though the former is lacking game time. Without him Gonzalo Quesada used Sebastián Cancelliere, and rookie Santiago Carreras regularly in Super Rugby as well as playing Matías Moroni out of position.
At fullback Emiliano Boffelli has made the position his own. This has limited the game time for Joaquín Tuculet who was unable to recapture his class prior to his knee injury from 2018.
To view Mario Ledesma’s preliminary RWC 2019 roster click here.
Boffelli, and Moroni started the Quarter Final against the Chiefs, Semi Final against the Brumbies, and the Final against the Crusaders. Cancelliere joined them in the Quarter Final, and Semi Final but was replaced by Moyano for the Final. Moyano returned from injury to be on the bench against the Brumbies while Carreras had that spot against the Chiefs.
Santiago Cordero’s inclusion specifically comes with Boffelli, Cancelliere, and Moroni been in need of rest. He will join Los Pumas in Buenos Aires to prepare for the Rugby Championship.
Last capped in 2017, Cordero’s return is a game-changer for Argentina with an eye to RWC 2019. He is a returning player from RWC 2015 where he held down the starting right wing position, staring notably against Georgia, and Ireland.
With 33 test caps and 12 tries his experience will be welcomed by the roster with Carreras uncapped, and both Cruz Mallía and Delguy having debuted in 2018.
The complete roster is updated as follows:
| PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM | UNION |
| Javier Díaz | LH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Santiago García Botta | LH | Harlequins | England |
| Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro | LH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Mayco Vivas | LH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Juan Pablo Zeiss | LH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Agustín Creevy | HK | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Julián Montoya | HK | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Santiago Socino | HK | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Juan Figallo | TH | Saracens | England |
| Ramiro Herrera | TH | Stade Français | France |
| Santiago Medrano | TH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Enrique Pieretto | TH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Lucio Sordoni | TH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Matías Alemanno | LO | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Tomás Lavanini | LO | Leicester Tigers | England |
| Lucas Paulos | LO | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Guido Petti | LO | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Rodrigo Bruni | FL | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Marcos Kremer | FL / LO | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Juan M Leguizamón | FL | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Tomás Lezana | FL | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Pablo Matera | FL | Stade Français | France |
| Facundo Isa | N8 | Toulon | France |
| Javier Ortega Desio | N8 | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Gonzalo Bertranou | SH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Tomás Cubelli | SH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Felipe Ezcurra | SH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Martín Landajo | SH | Harlequins | England |
| Joaquín Díaz Bonilla | FH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Santiago G Iglesias | FH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Domingo Miotti | FH | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Nicolás Sánchez | FH | Stade Français | Argentina |
| Benjamín Urdapilleta | FH | Castres | France |
| Jerónimo de la Fuente | CE | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Bautista Ezcurra | CE | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Juan Cruz Mallía | CE / FB | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Lucas Mensa | CE | Argentina XV | Argentina |
| Matías Moroni | CE / WI | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Matías Orlando | CE | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Sebastián Cancelliere | WI | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Santiago Carreras | WI | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Santiago Cordero | WI / FB | Bordeaux | France |
| Bautista Delguy | WI | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Manuel Montero | WI | Argentina XV | Argentina |
| Ramiro Moyano | WI | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Emiliano Boffelli | FB | Jaguares | Argentina |
| Joaquín Tuculet | FB | Jaguares | Argentina |
