Yet to play at all in the 2022-2023 season, Guido Petti is now back in training. Petti was injured playing for Argentina against South Africa in the 2022 Rugby Championship. Surgery has seen a delayed return but he is at last ready. Just in the nick of time, Petti will be able to pay i the final round of the Top 14 season.
Bordeaux have been very patient. Petti has been a starter for Bordeaux when available. His injury was in September. This means that his debut for the 2022-2023 season will be in the final round against Toulon. Petti’s last appearance for Bordeaux was in the Top 14 Semi Final loss against Montpellier in June 2022.
Petti is a veteran of Rugby World Cups 2015 and 2019. He made his World Cup debut against New Zealand at the age of 20. Now with 73 test caps, Petti is one of a small group of players closing in on 100 test caps. No Puma has ever reached the mark.
The 28-year-old is one of four second-rowers that Michael Cheika is preparing to name on his roster for Rugby World Cup 2023. The others are Matías Alemanno (Gloucester), Tomás Lavanini (Clermont), and Lucas Paulos (Brive). Alemanno, Lavanini and Petti all played at RWCs 2015 and 2019.
As noted, Petti’s return is timely for Los Pumas. With Petti out of the November 2022 tour of the UK, Cheika called-up Franco Molina. He toured but remains uncapped. Molina will not play in the World Cup. He underwent surgery following a ruptured Achilles tendon. He suffered the injury playing Super Rugby Americas for Los Dogos.