Pumas head to South Africa without experienced quartet

Los Pumas are to go to South Africa without regular backs Tomás Cubelli, Matías Moroni, Matías Orlando, and Nicolás Sánchez. The roster named by Mario Ledesma for Los Pumas’ final test match before RWC 2019 sees all four certain backs for Japan 2019 being rested.

Ledesma’s 28-man roster to face South Africa on Saturday August 17 features three players fewer than the official number that will compete at RWC 2019.

All fifteen of the forwards included for the match next Saturday in Pretoria are virtually assured of their places at RWC 2019. Two or three additional forwards will be included of whom Juan Manuel Leguizamón, and Santiago Socino are the most likely of those excluded from the Pretoria clash.

Also left out is Ramiro Herrera. Having been a replacement against Australia, Herrera now seems to be outside of Ledesma’s plans. Instead Juan Figallo is the firm starting tight head with Santiago Medrano being the replacement and Enrique Pieretto the third option.

The non-selection of Lucas Paulos sees Marcos Kremer again included as a hybrid forward. The starting flanker from 2018 played second-row for Argentina yesterday in Salta. He joins Matías Alemanno, Guido Petti, and Tomás Lavanini as the four specialist locks.

In terms of the back-row options Kremer joins Facundo Isa, Tomás Lezana, Pablo Matera, and Javier Ortega Desio for the trip to Pretoria. With six players projected to be included in the RWC roster covering the back-row there is potential from room for Leguizamón and one other.

Of those not going to South Africa Tomás Cubelli, and Nicolás Sánchez are being left behind to rest. Both players started all three Rugby Championship matches, doing so as the 9-10 combination. Felipe Ezcurra, and Gonzalo Bertranou were the replacements for Cubelli with both now competing for the one certain vacancy for Japan 2019.

Ledesma may well opt for three scrum halves. This being the case then Bertranou, Cubelli, and Ezcurra would all go to Japan. Alternatively there is a plausible option for three fly halves. Should the latter be the case then Benjamín Urdapilleta and Joaquín Díaz Bonilla will join Sánchez.

With Sánchez not selected Urdapilleta, and Díaz Bonilla will be the fly halves in Pretoria. This sees the highly promising Domingo Miotti left out. The Jaguares XV duo of Miotti and Juan Cruz Mallía are missing from the 28-man roster named by Ledesma.

Additional notable exclusions from Los Jaguares XV are flankers Rodrigo Bruni, and Francisco Gorrisen. The inclusion of neither man furthers the probability of Ledesma taking Socino as the third hooker and also the veteran Leguizamón for his fourth RWC.

The decision to not include Mallía and also rest both Matías Moroni, and Matías Orlando means there is no specialist outside center on the roster. This means that Ledesma is set to start Joaquín Tuculet out of position.

With Emiliano Boffelli now the firm starting fullback and Argentina’s outside centers requiring rest, Ledesma is to move Tuculet to the mid-field. His second cap, back in 2012, saw him starting again France at outside center. Every other test start for the 30-year-old has been at fullback.

Tuculet trained on Thursday in the position and is now to play outside Jaguares captain Jerónimo de la Fuente in Pretoria. The alternate option is Lucas Mensa who also travelled to Brisbane to face the Wallabies but remains uncapped.

Mensa joins wing / fullback Santiago Carreras as uncapped players for the match in Pretoria. Carreras and Jaguares XV teammate Bautista Delguy have both been included for the fixture. They join Sebastián Cancelliere, Santiago Cordero, Ramiro Moyano as wing options.

ARGENTINA

FORWARDS: Matías Alemanno, Agustín Creevy, Juan Figallo, Facundo Isa, Marcos Kremer, Tomás Lavanini, Tomás Lezana, Pablo Matera, Santiago Medrano, Julián Montoya, Javier Ortega Desio, Guido Petti, Enrique Pieretto, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Mayco Vivas

Backs: Gonzalo Bertranou, Emiliano Boffelli, Sebastián Cancelliere, Santiago Carreras, Santiago Cordero, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Jerónimo de la Fuente, Bautista Delguy, Felipe Ezcurra, Lucas Mensa, Ramiro Moyano, Joaquín Tuculet, Benjamín Urdapilleta