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Manuel Alfaro will make his test debut on Friday. Alfaro has been named to start for Spain in Los Leones’ away test match against Tonga in Nuku’alofa. Head Coach Pablo Bouza, who is a former Puma, is using the tour to experiment some of his starting line-up. This includes Alfaro, traditionally a center, starting on the wing.
The match is the second of a two-match tour of Oceania. Los Leones began against Samoa in Apia. It saw Argentine Bernardo Vázquez making his test debut for Spain in the front-row. Other Argentines involved were hooker Santiago Ovejero, scrum-half Estanislao Bay and center Iñaki Mateu. Of them Mateu is a homegrown Spanish player.
Three Argentines were also replacements against Samoa. Of them, flanker Vicente Boronat made his debut. He others were Facundo López Bontempo and Bautista Güemes. López Bontempo is a homegrown Spanish player.
Born in 1996, Manuel Alfaro is a powerful, hard-running center. He plays his rugby for Ordizia Rugby Elkartea in the Basque region of Northern Spain. He joined the Spanish club from Argentina in January this year.
Prior to moving to Spain, Alfaro had experiences playing Super Rugby Americas (formerly Súper Liga Americana de Rugby). He played for Colombian side Los Cafeteros Pro and Argentine side Los Pampas.
Alfaro is 1,90m tall and weighs 104kg. He is a producto of Club Atlético Banco de la Nación Argentina in Buenos Aires. The same club also produced Hugo Porta and Fabián Turnes.
