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The Western Force have confirmed the signatures of Jaguares and Pumas starters Tomás Cubelli and Julián Montoya. This will be the second Australian stint for scrumhalf Cubelli. For hooker Montoya it may mean a change of plans with a deal to join Leicester Tigers falling through at the last minute due to the English Premiership’s ongoing financial woes. On the other hand, there is reason to believe that he will join Leicester in August 2021.
Cubelli, 31, has been a staple in the Pumas lineup for the past decade. He spent the 2016 and 2017 Super Rugby seasons with the Brumbies before switching to the Jaguares in 2018. The Belgrano product also experienced Vodacom Cup rugby in South Africa with the Pampas between 2011 and 2013.
For Montoya, soon to be 27, this will be the first experience with professional rugby outside Argentina. Originally from Club Newman in Buenos Aires, he has been with the Jaguares since their inception in 2016. This past year Montoya eclipsed Agustín Creevy as first choice hooker for Los Pumas.
After being dumped from Super Rugby at the end of the 2017 season, the Force were handed a reprieve in 2020 and competed in the recent Australia-only version of the competition. That format is set to continue in 2021 with the SANZAAR competition now dissolved and the future of the Jaguares uncertain.
