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Los Pumas have suffered a blow months out from the home July series against Scotland. Wasps loose head prop, Rodrigo Martínez will not be avaliable. The 23-year-old was injured this past weekend while warming-up for the Wasps’ English Premeirship match against Saracens.
Martínez suffered an achilles injury that will see him out of rugby for an extended period of approximately six months. The injury ended his season for the Wasps and means he will miss Argentina’s home test matches in July in Jujuy, Salta and Santiago del Estero. Depending on his recovery, he may return for the 2022 Rugby Championship.
Martínez joined the Wasps in November. He did so following a notable year wherein he went from playing for Paraguayan side the Olímpia Lions to play in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). He got the call-up to Los Pumas for the July Internationals and debuted for Argentina against Australia in the Rugby Championship.
His second cap was also against Australia; it marked his first test start. Martínez was then on the roster for the November Internationals where he played against France in Paris.
Argentina utilized six loose head props in 2021. All of them now play their rugby in Europe. They are Ignacio Calles (Pau, FR), Thomas Gallo (Benetton, IT), Facundo Gigena (London Irish, UK), Rodrigo Martínez (Wasps, UK), Carlos Muzzio (Mont de Marsan, FR) and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Benetton, IT).
Martínez is a product of Los Tordos in Mendoza. He went through the regional High Performance Center before playing for Argentina at u20 level and then for the Argentina XV. Mendoza will be the setting for Argentina vs Australia on August 13 this year.
