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There were 14 European-based players named on Mario Ledesma’s 59-man training roster. The number is far greater than that which he took to Japan to compete at RWC 2019. The overall number, rather than the percentage, is what is notable.
Despite the return to inclusion, Argentina’s roster still has names excluded that raise eyebrows. None do so more than Juan Imhoff. The winger’s last cap was the RWC 2015 Semi Final against Australia. In the Quarter Final he scored two tries against Ireland. With him missing the Bronze Final, remarkably, Horacio Agulla played wing more recently for Los Pumas.
Americas Rugby News has taken the liberty to compile a match-day line-up based on the leading missing players per position. As displayed below, the team is fully professional. It includes names who play in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby, Major League Rugby, France, Italy and the UK. 2019 Pumita, Ignacio Mendy would likely have been a Jaguar in 2020 had it not been for injury.
MISSING ARGENTINA PLAYERS’ XV
1 Santiago García Botta (Harlequins, UK), 2 Tomás Baravalle (Benetton Treviso, IT), 3 Gastón Córtes (Leicester Tigers, UK), 4 Mariano Galarza (Bayonne, FR), 5 Franco Molina (Ceibos), 6 Santiago Ruíz (Ceibos), 7 Tomás de la Vega (Toronto Arrows, CA), 8 Santiago Portillo (Ceibos), 9 Martín Landajo (Harlequins, UK), 10 Martín Elías (Ceibos), 11 Juan Imhoff (Racing 92, FR), 12 Agustín Segura (Ceibos), 13 Axel Muller (Brive, FR), 14 Manuel Montero (Olímpia Lions, PA), 15 Julián Domínguez (NOLA Gold, U.S.)
Replacements: 16 Diego Fortuny (Houston SaberCats, U.S.), 17 Lucas Noguera Paz (Bath, UK), 18 Eduardo Bello (Zebre, IT), 19 Carlos Repetto (Ceibos), 20 Nicolás Sbrocco (Perugia, IT), 21 Alfredo Pueyrredón (Peñarol, UR), 22 Teo Castiglioni (Ceibos), 23 Ignacio Mendy (Los Pumas 7’s)
