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The Rugby World Cup dream has ended for Ignacio Calles. The Argentine loose head prop suffered a ruptured achilles tendon which will require surgery. He will miss all of Argentina’s test matches in 2023.
The blow comes six days before Los Pumas make their first appearance of the year. Argentina play host to New Zealand in Mendoza on Saturday, July 09. Argentina’s roster for the match has two players in Calles’ position of loose head prop. They are Thomas Gallo and Marco Vivas.
Ignacio Calles was one of four loose head props named on the roster for 2023. All four play their rugby in Europe. Calles plays for Pau in the Top 14, Vivas plays for Gloucester in the English Premiership while Gallo and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro both play for Benetton in the United Rugby Championship.
The blow means another player will have the opportunity of joining the roster. Argentina’s player pool contains other active capped loose head props. Facundo Gigena, Rodrigo Martínez both played for Los Pumas in 2021.
2021 ended with twelve loose head props officially under consideration for international duty. Pumas Forwards Coach Andrés Bordoy named Calles, Gallo, Gigena, Martínez, Tetaz Chaparro and Vivas in addition to Javier Díaz, Francisco Minervino, Carlos Muzzio. Nicolás Revol Pitt, Nicolás Toth, and Federico Wergrzyn. Muzzio has since retired.
Calles is the second Puma forced out of the World Cup. Scrum-half Eliseo Morales was ruled-out in June. Morales has undergone surgery. He suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee. The injury occurred while playing for Los Pampas against Los Dogos in the derby Semi Final of Super Rugby Americas (SRA).
