Argentina Battling Injuries Before July Internationals

Injuries have come at the wrong time for key Pumas. With the professional season into the late stages there are concerns surrounding players who, if fit, would be certainties to receive game time and likely start for Argentina.

Emiliano Boffelli is out for the remainder of the season. The first-choice Pumas goal-kicker was pulled from the Edinburgh starting XV ahead of the match against the Stormers. That was in March. He is now out of action with a back injury which most likely will require surgery.

Scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou has undergone surgery. He was the victim of foul play. The outcome was facial fractures. He was our playing for the Cardiff Blues against the Lions in Johannesburg. The season ending injury should not prevent him from playing in July. Bertranou is expected to start for Argentina if fit.

Meanwhile, Santiago Cordero is back in action. He will make his Connacht debut on Saturday. He was injured in training last August. 287 days later, the Puma is ready to return to the field. He will play his first URC match; doing so after previously playing Super Rugby, English Premiership, and Top 14. If Boffelli is out then Cordero’s return is increasingly important.

Pablo Matera was injured at the World Cup. The most capped Pumas flanker in history, with 98 caps, is now fit-again and playing for the Honda Heat in Japan. He will be available for Argentina’s July Internationals.

Thomas Gallo has recovered from injury and is back playing for Benetton. Fellow loose head prop, Ignacio Calles is set for his first match of the season. He will start for Pau this weekend. His last match was on May 28, 2023.

Meanwhile Benjamín Grondona will make his debut for the Bristol Bears. The uncapped flanker is the younger brother of Santiago Grondona whose World Cup dream was shattered against Spain. Santiago Grondona is close to returning from his knee injury and should be available for Felipe Contepomi in July.

Argentina will play here test matches in July. France will play test matches in Argentina on July 06 and 13, 2024. while a new fixture sees Argentina playing away against Uruguay. Planning for these matches is well underway. The Argentine roster for the July Internationals will be named in a months time.

 

JULY INTERNATIONALS 2024 – ARGENTINA

July 06 VS (Mendoza, AR)

July 13 VS(Buenos Aires, AR)

July 20 VS (Maldonado, UY)