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2024 marks the beginning of a new Rugby World Cup cycle. Argentina is unique in the Americas in already being qualified for the next World Cup. This provides an advantage to begin preparations at times in which teams such as Chile, Uruguay, Canada and the USA are focusing on qualifying.
The new cycle sees Felipe Contepomi taking charge. He knows the demands of the long professional season in Europe and the balancing act with test match rugby. Will he rotate players accordingly? Will he look to the future immediately?
If the answer to both questions is yes then the chances of Argentines making their Pumas debut in 2024 is very high. If a more conserve approach is the course of action then fewer new Pumas can be expected this year.
Bautista Bernasconi
Bautista Bernasconi has had an impressive 2023-2024 season the far. The hooker from CASI in Buenos Aires has received plenty of game time in the United Rugby Championship (URC) for Benetton. He made the move to Italy following time in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR), now Super Rugby Americas, for Los Jaguares XV.
The 22-year-old has two tries in the URC this season. He has been busy as a ball-carrier and a defender. It is his second season in the league; he debuted against Munster in January 2023. In 2021 he was a Pumita while in 2022 he was the understudy to Santiago Socino for the Argentina XV against Portugal and Georgia.
Socino missed out on World Cup selection. The Gloucester hooker is now 31-years-old. Facundo Bosch is another Argentine hooker who missed out. Bosch is now aged 32. Agustín Creevy was selected. He turns 39 in March. In addition to age the fact that Julián Montoya is the captain of both Argentina and the Leicester Tigers begins into question potential overload. Perhaps he will be rested altogether for the July test match against a Tier 2 opponent? Could this be a debut for Bernasconi?
Franco Molina
Of all of the different positions the second-row ranks as Argentina’s lowest in terms of active capped players. Matías Alemanno, Tomás Lavanini, and Guido Petti have 261 caps between them. The trio played at Rugby World Cups 2015, 2019 and 2023. Lucas Paulos has 12 caps and Pedro Rubiolo, who covers flanker and second-row, has 10.
All are presently having busy seasons in England and France. Another is Marcos Kremer. He is 26 and, like Rubiolo, covers two positions. This goes far to explain why so few second-rowers have been capped in the past three World Cup cycles.
Meanwhile, Alemanno has said he will not be playing at another Rugby World Cup. A new work-horse will be selected at some point. Based on the busy season on the back of a Rugby World Cup there is room for a second-rower test debutant in 2024.
Franco Molina is a prime candidate. The 26-year-old has plenty of experience for the Argentina XV. He has also played SLAR and Super Rugby Americas for Los Ceibos, Los Jaguares XV, Selknam, and Los Dogos. He captained the Córdoba franchise in Super Rugby Americas 2023. He received a call-up in November 2022 but remains uncapped. Had it not been for surgery he may well have debuted for Los Pumas prior to the World Cup.
Juan Bautista Pedemonte
Juan Bautista Pedemonte is in the middle of an impressive season or Vannes in the French Pro D2. He scored seven tries in the first half of the season playing alongside the two-time capped Pumas flanker Francisco Gorrissen.
The mid-way point of the Pro D2 regular season ended with Vannes sitting top of the table. The club held a five point advantage. Vannes signed Pedemonte from Argentina in 2022 on a three-year-deal. He moved with Argentina XV matches to his name but no caps.
The team will be keen for Pedemonte to continue with his form and Argentina will too. Argentina lost Pablo Matera to injury during the World Cup and Santiago Grondona before it. The loss of two leading flankers pushed the boundaries of the roster at France 2023. Pedemonte is well-placed as a player to call-upon during the demanding international campaign this year.
Pedemonte is now aged 23. The back-rower is both a strong ball-carrier and defender. He is a product of Santiago Lawn Tennis Club. The same club produced current Pumas back-rowers Facundo Isa and Tomás Lezana. It also produced Juan Manuel Leguizamón, a man who played at four Rugby World Cups.
Gerónimo Prisciantelli
Contepomi goes from Assistant Coach to Head Coach of his country. He does so with the team’s starting fly half not being a regular in the position for his club. Felipe Contepomi played a lot at inside center and fly half while Santiago Carreras is the incumbent with his understudy, Nicolás Sánchez now being 35.
Sánchez is now playing in Japan. The move may see him add a further season with Los Pumas. He was preferred to Tomás Albornoz for the World Cup. Since then Domingo Miotti and Gerónimo Prisciantelli have been playing good rugby.
Prisciantelli is and uncapped. He is playing regularly for Zebre where his regular position is fly half. He also covers fullback and inside center, a positional bonus when considering a utility back replacement.
The 24-year-old for was a replacement for the Argentina XV’s 2022 against Portugal and started in the win over Georgia. His form, including two tries this season, for Zebre shows that the CASI product is more than ready for a call-up. He would certainly fit in well for Argentina against a Tier 2 opponent during the July Internationals.
As noted Prisciantelli and Miotti are playing well this season in Italy and France respectively. In Argentina Juan Bautista Baronio and Joaquín de la Vega Mendía are further fly halves to underline in 2024. Both impressed in 2023 in Super Rugby Americas. The former did so as a teenager for Los Dogos and the latter as captain of Los Pampas.
Agustín Moyano
Juan Bautista Baronio played a lot outside Agustín Moyano for Los Dogos in Super Rugby Americas 2023. Moyano started at scrum-half in the final against Peñarol. He subsequently played for Los Pumitas in the Junior World Championship.
Scrum-half is a critical position for Argentina in 2024. New blood is likely to be required. Veteran Tomás Cubelli turns 35 in June and is out of the equation. Incumbent Gonzalo Bertranou has had multiple. injury set-backs this season.
On the one hand, the timing of the Paris Olympic Games means that players involved with Los Pumas 7’s will not be considered for the July Internationals. On the other hand, the form of Gonzalo García for Zebre means his name is expected on the roster.
Lautaro Bazán Vélez joined Cubelli and Bertranou on the World Cup roster. García missed out through injury as did Eliseo Morales who debuted in 2022. Morales is joined by Mateo Albanese, and Ignacio Inchauspe at Los Pampas this year. All will have an opportunity to press for a place on the roster as will Moyano. His rookie season as a professional in 2023 suggest test caps are just a matter of time.
