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Juan Cruz Mallía will remain at Toulouse. The Argentine back has agreed to terms to extend his contract with the French Top 14 and European Champions Cup champions. Mallía arrived at Toulouse earlier this year and went on start for the team in two finals, both of which were wins.
Toulouse signed Mallía as a medical joker from Los Jaguares. He was subsequently joined by Santiago Chocobares. Both players were involved in the Top 14 final and both are now contracted to Toulouse on long-term deals.
Mallía joined Toulouse following three seasons of Super Rugby. He played for the Argentine franchise from 2018-2020, doing so at fullback, wing and in the centers. His natural position is outside center, though he has also played for Argentina and Toulouse across multiple positions.
Both Mallía and Chocobares are from the Argentine mainland. That is to say, neither player is from Buenos Aires. Mallía is from Córdoba while Chocobares is from the small town of Rufino in Santa Fé province. Mallía started wing for Toulouse in the Top 14 final with Chocobares at outside center. Mallía was outside center, and scored the match-winner for Toulouse in the European Champions Cup Final.
The two titles sees Toulouse entering the 2021-2022 season as the European and French champions. Quite simply, Toulouse is the team to beat in the new season. Mallía and Chocobares will not be available for the start of the season; both players are to be on international duty in the Rugby Championship.
Los Pumas will begin with two matches against the Springboks in South Africa. Mallía will not be available for the first but may feature in the second. He was suspended following a red card in the first test match against Wales earlier this month in Cardiff.
Mallía started the match against Wales at fullback. He played wing as a replacement against Romania in the prior test match. His one start in 2020 was at outside center against New Zealand in the Tri Nations. He also started at outside center against the USA at RWC 2019. He won Man of the Match against the USA, recording 157 meters carried with two tries and two try assists.
The 24-year-old has is a product of the Argentine High Performance system. He is a product of Córdoba’s Jockey Club and a former Argentine u20 captain.
