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The best test team from the Americas, Argentina qualified automatically for RWC 2023. The draw for France 2023 placed Los Pumas in Pool D. The group also contains England, Japan, Samoa and the Americas 2 qualifier.
The stereotypical brands of rugby played by those in Argentina’s pool is varied. The roster and game plan will thereby need to be put together with both options and player rotation in mind. The present edition of World Cup Watch has been structured, in part, to solve this formula.
Picking the roster is far from simple; indeed, Argentina’s team and roster for RWC 2023 is clouded. Results in the 2021 Rugby Championship provide many questions and few answers. Americas Rugby News identifies few positions as being certain at present. This is reflected with many names with high numbers of caps being outside of the projected First XV.
ARGENTINA
| ## | NAME | CLUB | POS | CAPS |
PROJECTED FIRST XV
| 1 | Mayco Vivas | – | LH | 12 |
| 2 | Julián Montoya (capt.) | Leicester Tigers (UK) | HK | 71 |
| 3 | Francisco Gómez Kodela | Lyon (FR) | TH | 18 |
| 4 | Guido Petti | Bordeaux (FR) | LO | 63 |
| 5 | Marcos Kremer | Stade Français (FR) | LO | 40 |
| 6 | Pablo Matera | Crusaders (NZ) | FL | 77 |
| 7 | Santiago Grondona | – | FL | 4 |
| 8 | Facundo Isa | Toulon (FR) | N8 | 34 |
| 9 | Gonzalo García | Valorugby Emilia (IT) | SH | 3 |
| 10 | Santiago Carreras | Gloucester (UK) | FH | 15 |
| 11 | Emiliano Boffelli | Edinburgh (UK) | WI | 34 |
| 12 | Santiago Chocobares | Toulouse (FR) | CE | 10 |
| 13 | Lucio Cinti | Los Pumas 7’s | CE | 3 |
| 14 | Mateo Carreras | Newcastle (UK) | WI | 2 |
| 15 | Ignacio Mendy | Los Pumas 7’s | FB | 1 |
Earlier this year Ledesma named a longlist of 67 players. He also handed many players their first caps in either the July Internationals or the Rugby Championship.
The Rugby Championship suggests that the large roster is far from conclusive. The results and the rugby played indicate two factors First, the net could be widened substantially further to bring more names into consideration. Second, Mario Ledesma fielded many players out of position. Center Matías Moroni played wing, fullback Santiago Carreras played wing and fly half, center Juan Cruz Mallía played fullback, Marcos Kremer played both flanker and second-row, and N8 Facundo Isa played flanker.
The previous World Rugby Watch – Argentina had Matías Moroni at outside center and Santiago Carreras at fullback. Ledesma’s intentions now suggest otherwise. Granted, the selections are made on the assumption that the current coaching staff is retained.
In all three post match conferences since moving Santiago Carreras to fly half, Ledesma sung the praises of his performances in the position. He is therefore presently projected to be the starting Pumas fly half. Outside him are Sangtiago Chocobares and Lucio Cinti, the same men who were the starting centers with Carreras at fly half in Australia.
Scrum-half is clouded. Tomás Cubelli started in July. Injury saw Felipe Ezcurra and Gonzalo Bertranou starting in the Rugby Championship. ARN has determined that rookie Gonzalo García performed better than Ezcurra and Bertranou and that Cubelli does not have age on his side.
If Santiago Carreras is to indeed play fly half then the goal-kicking will need to come from a different position. The leading options are Emiliano Boffelli and Gonzalo García. Both are projected starters.
The back-three is another area with more questions than answers. Boffelli was out of favor before the decision to move Santiago Carreras to fly half was made. Of note is that Santiago Cordero’s game vs Romania was the best from a Pumas in the 15 shirt thus far in 2021. Ledesma has not put faith in him at fullback over the years, and thus rookies Mateo Carreras and Ignacio Mendy are positioned in the projected line-up.
Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro was on the wrong side of referees against South Africa. This and other factors have determined that another player is projected to be the starting loose head prop. Mayco Vivas is arguably the best scrum option in the position and will be 25 come RWC 2023.
Ledesma has played Guido Petti and Marcos Kremer at both second-row and flanker this year. While it is possible to debate where each player is best served, the simple answer is that Argentina need them in the second-row based on their ages and abilities.
2021 has suggested that Los Pumas need a back-row that can defend well and help secure more possession. The outcome is that Pablo Matera is projected to be joined by 2020 rookie Santiago Grondona and RWC 2015 reserve N8, Facundo Isa. Rodrigo Bruni misses out with Isa’s test against South Africa having been one with a high work-rate that Bruni’s starts did not measure up to in the tournament.
PROJECTED REPLACEMENTS
| 16 | Facundo Bosch | La Rochelle (FR) | HK | 10 |
| 17 | Thomas Gallo | Benetton (IT) | LH | 1 |
| 18 | Joel Sclavi | La Rochelle (FR) | TH | – |
| 19 | Tomás Lavanini | Clermont (FR) | LO | 64 |
| 20 | Juan Martín González | Jaguares XV | FL | 5 |
| 21 | Tomás Cubelli | Biarritz (FR) | SH | 79 |
| 22 | Tomás Albornoz | Benetton (IT) | FH | – |
| 23 | Santiago Cordero | Bordeaux (FR) | WI / FB | 43 |
The selection of players out of position is a central factor in determining the replacements. For instance, Ledesma’s lack of game time for Domingo Miotti means that another player is favored for RWC 2023. It could be veteran Nicolás Sánchez, though he was also dropped during the Rugby Championship. Tomás Albornoz is presently uncapped though has performed very well since departing Argentina to play in Europe.
The woes of the scrum mean an anchor will likely be sought. Joel Sclavi looms as the answer in this department. 2022 may well see him starting test matches. Thomas Gallo’s ball-carrying sees him positioned as the replacement loose head. Hooker is uncchanged from 2021.
Tomás Lavanini edges out Matías Alemanno as the replacement second-rower. Juan Martín González’s all0round game sees him as the projected replacement back-rower.
TRAVELING RESERVES
| 24 | Santiago Socino | Gloucester (UK) | HK | 6 |
| 25 | Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro | Benetton (IT) | LH | 67 |
| 26 | Santiago Medrano | Western Force (AU) | TH | 29 |
| 27 | Matías Alemanno | Gloucester (UK) | LO | 72 |
| 28 | Francisco Gorrissen | Jaguares XV | FL | 3 |
| 29 | Gonzalo Bertranou | Dragons (UK) | SH | 34 |
| 30 | Nicolás Sánchez | Stade Français (FR) | FH | 90 |
| 31 | Juan Cruz Mallía | Toulouse (FR) | CE / FB | 12 |
| 32 | Matías Moroni | Leicester Tigers (UK) | CE / WI | 53 |
| 33 | Bautista Delguy | Perpignan (FR) | WI | 21 |
Traveling reserves are far more than injury cover. The players will get game time and likely be used to start, especailly for Argentina’s second match of the tournament. Los Pumas open against England and then face Samoa. Those listed from 24-33 above are probability for the match-day 23 against Samoa.
Juan Cruz Mallía may start at ouside center or at fullback. Alternatively, he may be on the bench covering these positions as well as wing. Similarly, Bautista Delguy could start or cover wing anfd fullback from the bench.
