Argentina with Top 14 Reinforcements for Tour to Australia and South Africa

Argentina will have Top 14 reinforcements for their upcoming tour to Australia and South Africa. Los Pumas face the Wallabies in Sydney and the Springboks in Johannesburg. The July 15 and 29 fixtures will be the two finals rounds of the 2023 Rugby Championship.

The opening round of the 2023 Rugby Championship took place on Saturday. Argentina played host to New Zealand in Mendoza. A poor first-half saw the South Americans out-matched. New Zealand’s 41-12 win gives Michael Cheika, Julián Montoya and all involved plenty to think about.

The roster for the tour to Australia and South Africa sees returning players and also sees some missing out. Returning players include tight head props Francisco Gómez Kodela and Joel Sclavi. Both had busy Top 14 seasons in France. Guido Petti and Facundo Isa are additional forwards added for the tour. They are also Top 14 players as is Marcos Kremer who misses out through suspension.

Top 14 centers Santiago Chocobares and Jerónimo de la Fuente both return, the former missed out on 2022 due to injury. Wingers Juan Imhoff and Santiago Cordero are also both included as is fullback  Juan Cruz Mallía. In short, Argentina’s roster is notably stronger than it was for the home match against New Zealand.

There are still some unanswered injury questions. Scrum-halves Gonzalo García and Tomás Cubelli both miss the tour to Australia and South Africa through injury. so too will Bautista Delguy. He was named to start in Mendoza but was forced out an hour before kick-off.

Lucio Sordoni started the match at tight head prop. He scored the opening try for Argentina. He has not been selected for the tour and nor has Santiago Medrano. This provides a clear indication that Francisco Gómez Kodela, Joel Sclavi and Eduardo Bello are Cheika’s three preferred tight head props.

The reinforcement of Top 14 players does not see all of them on the plan. Perpignan flanker Joaquín Oviedo and Bayonne hooker Facundo Bosch have notably not been selected. Agustín Creevy is one of three hookers. He has the chance of becoming the first ever Puma to reach 100 caps on the tour.

The tour is Argentina’s final series of away matches together before the big announcement is made. Argentina’s roster for Rugby World Cup 2023 will follow the home match against South Africa. The August 05 match will not be part of the Rugby Championship.

Argentina’s final match before the World Cup will be against Spain in Madrid on August 26. Los Pumas begin their World Cup in Marseille, France against England on September 09.

 

ARGENTINA ROSTER – TOUR TO AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA

LOOSE HEAD
Thomas Gallo (Benneton, IT – 14 caps)
Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Benetton, IT – 76 caps)
Marco Vivas (Gloucester, UK – 18 caps)

HOOKER
Agustín Creevy (London Irish, UK – 98 caps)
Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers, UK – 86 caps)
Ignacio Ruiz (London Irish, UK – 4 caps)

TIGHT HEAD
Eduardo Bello (Newcastle Falcons, UK – 11 caps)
Francisco Gómez Kodela (Lyon, FR – 28 caps)
Joel Sclavi (La Rochelle, FR – 9 caps)

SECOND-ROW
Matías Alemanno (Gloucester, UK – 85 caps)
Tomás Lavanini (Clermont, FR – 79 caps)
Guido Petti (Bordeaux, FR – 73 caps)
Lucas Paulos (Bayonne, FR – 10 caps)

FLANKER
Juan Martín González (London Irish, UK – 21 caps)
Santiago Grondona (Pau, FR – 11 caps)
Facundo Isa (Toulon, FR – 44 caps)
Pedro Rubiolo (Newcastle Falcons, UK – 2 cap)

N8
Rodrigo Bruni (Bayonne, FR – 19 caps)
Pablo Matera (Honda Heat, JP – 92 caps)

SCRUM-HALF
Lautaro Bazán Vélez (Rovigo, IT – 4 caps)
Gonzalo Bertranou (Dragons, UK – 50 caps)

FLY HALF
Tomás Albornoz (Benetton, IT – 3 caps)
Santiago Carreras (Gloucester, UK – 32 caps)
Nicolás Sánchez (Brive, FR – 96 caps)

INSIDE CENTER
Santiago Chocobares (Toulouse, FR – 11 caps)
Jerónimo de la Fuente (Perpignan, FR – 74 caps)
Matías Orlando (Newcastle Falcons, UK – 58 caps)

OUTSIDE CENTER
Lucio Cinti (London Irish, UK – 13 caps)
Matías Moroni (Newcastle Falcons, UK – 70 caps)

WING
Emiliano Boffelli (Edinburgh, UK – 51 caps)
Sebastián Cancelliere (Glasgow Warriors, UK – 8 caps)
Mateo Carreras (Newcastle Falcons, UK – 8 caps)
Santiago Cordero (Connacht, IE – 49 caps)
Juan Imhoff (Racing 92, FR – 41 caps)

FULLBACK
Rodrigo Isgró (Los Pumas 7’s – uncapped)
Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse, FR – 24 caps)