Felipe Contepomi Selects First Argentina Roster as Head Coach

The new era begins for Argentina in March. The new Head Coach of Los Pumas, Felipe Contepomi will assemble a roster in London, England. The three day camp will feature 31 players. Most, but not all, of the players featured at Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.

The camp will take place four months before Contepomi’s debut test match as Head Coach. The World Rugby Hall of Famer replaces Michael Cheika who was in charge of Los Pumas from 2022-2023.

Cheika organized a similar camp to that which will take place in March. The 2023 camp was also in March though it took place in Paris, France. The March 2024 camp will feature 31 players, 30 of whom play their rugby in Europe. The one who does not is the uncapped Franco Molina.

Molina plays his rugby for Los Dogos in Super Rugby Americas. The second-rower has toured with Los Pumas in the past and has made plenty of appearances for the Argentina XV but is yet to play in a test match. Molina’s inclusion notably comes with Lucas Paulos not selected. He joins Matías Alemanno, Tomás Lavanini Guido Petti, and Pedro Rubiolo as the second-rowers.

Contepomi has also selected six players who are capped but missed the World Cup. Veteran loose head prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro missed through injury as did flanker Santiago Grondona. They are back while tight head prop Lucio Sordoni is included as is fly half Tomás Albornoz and wingers Santiago Cordero and Bautista Delguy. Like Tetaz Chaparro and Grondona, Cordero continues his recovery from injury.

Players based in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the USA were not considered. Flanker Pablo Matera and fullback Martín Bogado are the notable absentees in this regard. Tight head prop Santiago Medrano, scrum-half Tomás Cubelli, and fly half Nicolás Sánchez are also absent, though their non-selection can also be connected to additional factors.

Veteran hooker winger Juan Imhoff, Agustín Creevy and tight head prop Francisco Gómez Kodela are  missing as is former Pumas hooker Facundo Bosch. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Isgró was not considered due to his involvement with Los Pumas 7’s.

Additional notable names not included are scrum-half Gonzalo García, fly half Domingo Miotti and winger Ignacio Mendy. All three are having excellent seasons in Europe. Finally, Facundo Isa opted against international duty in 2024.

ARGENTINA – 31 MAN ROSTER

LOOSE HEAD PROP
Thomas Gallo (Benetton, IT)
Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Benetton, IT)
Mayco Vivas (Gloucester, UK)

HOOKER
Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers, UK)
Ignacio Ruiz (Perpignan, FR)

TIGHT HEAD PROP
Eduardo Bello (Newcastle Falcons, UK)
Joel Sclavi (La Rochelle, FR)
Lucio Sordoni (Glasgow Warriors, UK)

SECOND-ROW
Matías Alemanno (Gloucester, UK)
Tomás Lavanini (Clermont, FR)
Franco Molina (Dogos)
Guido Petti (Bordeaux, FR)
Pedro Rubiolo (Newcastle Falcons, UK)

FLANKER
Juan Martín González (Saracens, UK)
Santiago Grondona (Bristol Bears, UK)
Marcos Kremer (Clermont, FR)

N8
Rodrigo Bruni (Bayonne, FR)
Joaquín Oviedo (Perpignan, FR)

SCRUM-HALF
Lautaro Bazán Vélez (Rovigo, IT)
Gonzalo Bertranou (Dragons, UK)

FLY HALF
Tomás Albornoz (Benetton, IT)
Santiago Carreras (Gloucester, UK)

INSIDE CENTER
Santiago Chocobares (Toulouse, FR)
Jerónimo de la Fuente (Perpignan, FR)

OUTSIDE CENTER
Lucio Cinti (Saracens, UK)
Matías Moroni (Newcastle Falcons, UK)

WING
Emiliano Boffelli (Edinburgh, UK)
Mateo Carreras (Bayonne, FR)
Santiago Cordero (Connacht, IE)
Bautista Delguy (Clermont, FR)

FULLBACK
Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse, FR)

 

JULY INTERNATIONALS 2024 – ARGENTINA

July 06 VS (TBA, AR)

July 13 VS(TBA, AR)

July 20 VS Tier 2 (TBA)

 

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 – ARGENTINA

Aug  10 VS (Wellington, NZ)

Aug 17 VS (Auckland, NZ)

Aug 31  VS(TBA, AR)

Sep 07 VS(TBA, AR)

Sep 21 VS(TBA, AR)

Sep 28 VS (Nelspruit, ZA)

 

NOVEMBER INTERNATIONALS 2024 – ARGENTINA

Nov 09 VS(TBA, IT)

Nov 16 VS (Dublin, IE)

Nov 23VS(TBA, FR)

 

The selection of players provides a detailed insight as to Felipe Contepomi’s plans on how to begin the international season. Argentina’s home match against France on July 06 will presumably include 23 of the 31 players named for the London camp.

A central factor related to who will, or rather will not, play is the Top 14 Final. It will be played in Marseille on June 28. Players from clubs such as Bordeaux, La Rochelle, and Toulouse may thus miss out on some or all of Argentina’s July test matches.

PROJECTED PUMAS LINE-UP

#	PLAYER	TEAM	POSITION	CAPS
1	Thomas Gallo	Benetton (IT)	LH	23
2	Julián Montoya (capt.)	Leicester Tigers (UK)	HK	95
3	Eduardo Bello	Newcastle Falcons (UK)	TH	21
4	Guido Petti	Bordeaux (FR)	LO	82
5	Tomás Lavanini	Clermont (FR)	LO	86
6	Juan Martín González	Saracens (UK)	FL/N8	31
7	Marcos Kremer	Clermont (FR)	FL/LO	64
8	Rodrigo Bruni	Bayonne (FR)	N8	26
9	Gonzalo Bertranou	Dragons (UK)	SH	57
10	Santiago Carreras	Gloucester (UK)	FH/FB/WI	42
11	Mateo Carreras	Newcastle Falcons (UK)	WI	17
12	Santiago Chocobares	Toulouse (FR)	CE	13
13	Lucio Cinti	Saracens (UK)	CE/WI	23
14	Emiliano Boffelli	Edinburgh (UK)	WI/FB	59
15	Juan Cruz Mallía	Toulouse (FR)	FB/CE	32
16	Ignacio Ruiz	Perpignan  (FR)	HK	6
17	Joel Sclavi	La Rochelle (FR)	TH/LH	18
18	Luciano Sordoni	Glasgow Warriors (UK)	TH	4
19	Matías Alemanno	Gloucester (UK)	LO	93
20	Joaquín Oviedo	Perpignan (FR)	FL/N8	2
21	Lautaro Bazán Vélez	Rovigo (IT)	SH	13
22	Tomás Albornoz	Benetton (IT)	FH	5
23	Matías Moroni	Newcastle Falcons (UK)	CE	80