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New Pumas Head Coach Felipe Contepomi held a camp in London, UK this week. The training regime featured Contepomi, his staff and 31 players. The coach thus gave an early indication into selection intentions for 2024.
With the camp concluded, the World Rugby Hall of Famer spoke about the present situation and what lies ahead. Argentina will play three test matches in July. Two will be at home against France with the third across the Rio de la Plata against Uruguay in Montevideo.
The 31 players at camp included six players who are capped but missed the World Cup: Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Lucio Sordoni, Santiago Grondona, Tomás Albornoz, Santiago Cordero and Bautista Delguy. Tetaz Chaparro and Grondona missed through injury. Dogos captain Franco Molina joined them as newcomers in London.
Francisco Gómez Kodela, Agustín Creevy, Facundo Isa, Pablo Matera, Martín Bogado, and Rodrigo Isgró, Juan Imhoff and Nicolás Sánchez were absent. Isa is taking the year off, Gómez Kodela has retired while, based on their ages, Creevy, Cubelli and Imhoff’s Pumas careers are likely over.
Contepomi said that he is in regular contact with 50 players. That is 19 more players than he number from the camp in London. He also said that 30 or 31 will be selected for the home matches in July. Different players will be rested based on when they finish their seasons in Europe.
Click here to access Argentina’s roster from the training camp in London.
Click here to access Argentina’s Player Pool in detail.
Who then are the 50 players?
If distributed evenly it would be 3.3 players per position. Of course, some positions will require more than others and there are utility players such as Joel Sclavi, Marcos Kremer, Juan Cruz Mallía and Matías Moroni.
Contepomi did not say who the 50 players are; however, he did reveal his intentions and criteria for fly halves. Santiago Carreras is first choice and plays a style that the coaches want. Contepomi went on to say that playing wing / fullback for Gloucester is a problem but is not so bad.
He also mentioned Mallía who is Argentina’s starting fullback has been playing regularly at fly half for Toulouse. Speaking of his as a fly half, Contepomi said that Mallía is more repetitive in his play and is less talented than Carreras. He was officially confirmed as an option.
The additional fly halves named are Tomás Albornoz, Domingo Miotti, Gerónimo Prisciantelli, Julián Hernández and Joaquín de la Vega Mendía. Albornoz, Miotti and Prisciantelli have been playing regularly this season for their respective European clubs. Likewise Hernández and de la Vega Mendía in Super Rugby Americas.
From this there are four points to note regarding fly halves. First, all seven are being monitored and no fewer than four will be selected. Second, Prisciantelli, Hernández, de la Vega Mendía are uncapped. Third, Prisciantelli covers fullback and center. Fourth, Nicolás Sánchez has not confirmed whether he will continue his test career.
Below is ARN’s best guess of Contepomi’s 50 players. As noted, the number is not identical to 50. Leeway has been brought into play to have a balanced list of candidates. For instance, while more than four flankers are required, less than four inside centers is appropriate.
ARGENTINA 2024 PLAYER POOL
LOOSE HEAD PROP (5)
Ignacio Calles (Pau, FR)
Thomas Gallo (Benetton, IT)
Rodrigo Martínez (Dragons, UK)
Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Benetton, IT)
Mayco Vivas (Gloucester, UK)
HOOKER (4)
Bautista Bernasconi (Benetton, IT) *
Facundo Bosch (Bayonne, FR)
Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers, UK)
Ignacio Ruiz (Perpignan, FR)
TIGHT HEAD PROP (5)
Eduardo Bello (Newcastle Falcons, UK)
Javier Corvalán (Pampas) *
Santiago Medrano (Western Force, AU)
Joel Sclavi (La Rochelle, FR)
Lucio Sordoni (Glasgow Warriors, UK)
SECOND-ROW (6)
Matías Alemanno (Gloucester, UK)
Tomás Lavanini (Clermont, FR)
Franco Molina (Dogos) *
Lucas Paulos (Bayonne, FR)
Guido Petti (Bordeaux, FR)
Pedro Rubiolo (Newcastle Falcons, UK)
FLANKER (7)
Juan Martín González (Saracens, UK)
Francisco Gorrissen (Vannes, FR)
Santiago Grondona (Bristol Bears, UK)
Marcos Kremer (Clermont, FR)
Pablo Matera (Honda Heat, JP)
Joaquín Oviedo (Perpignan, FR)
Guido Volpi (Zebre) *
N8 (3)
Rodrigo Bruni (Bayonne, FR)
Joaquín Moro (Pampas) *
Bautista Pedemonte (Vannes, FR) *
SCRUM HALF (5)
Lautaro Bazán Vélez (Rovigo, IT)
Gonzalo Bertranou (Dragons, UK)
Gonzalo García (Zebre Parma, IT)
Eliseo Morales (Pampas)
Agustín Moyano (Dogos) *
FLY HALF (6)
Tomás Albornoz (Benetton, IT)
Santiago Carreras (Gloucester, UK)
Domingo Miotti (Oyonnax, FR)
Gerónimo Prisciantelli (Zebre Parma, IT) *
Julián Hernández (Dogos) *
Joaquín de la Vega Mendía (Pampas) *
INSIDE CENTER (3)
Luciano González (Los Pumas 7’s) *
Santiago Chocobares (Toulouse, FR)
Jerónimo de la Fuente (Perpignan, FR)
OUTSIDE CENTER (3)
Lucio Cinti (Saracens, UK)
Matías Moroni (Newcastle Falcons, UK)
Matías Orlando (Newcastle Falcons, UK)
WING (5)
Emiliano Boffelli (Edinburgh, UK)
Mateo Carreras (Bayonne, FR)
Santiago Cordero (Connacht, IE)
Bautista Delguy (Clermont, FR)
Rodrigo Isgró (Los Pumas 7’s)
Ignacio Mendy (Benetton, IT)
FULLBACK (3)
Martín Bogado (Highlanders, NZ)
Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse, FR)
Mateo Soler (Dogos) *
* denotes uncapped
