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Felipe Contepomi has made bold decisions for the November Internationals. His final 32-man roster has been announced following a 35-man roster for a training camp in Paris from Monday to Wednesday. The players had the opportunity to leave their mark ahead of the announcement as to who will be representing Los Pumas against Italy in Udine, Ireland in Dublin and France in Paris in November.
 PUMAS ROSTER – MISSING PLAYERS |
Los Carreras are missing from the final roster. Neither utility Santiago Carreras nor winger Mateo Carreras have been included. Both have been a constant this year for Argentina. Santiago Carreras is resting a minor calf injury while Mateo Carreras recently became a father.
Flanker has also been notably affected. Former captain Pablo Matera is not on the roster. His non-selection follows a very busy year and suspension against South Africa following his red card against South Africa in Nelspruit. He is free to play against Ireland and France yet has not been selected. Marcos Kremer was injured in the win over the Springboks in Santiago del Estero. He is yet to play for Clermont this season. He captained Los Pumas against Uruguay in July.
Second-rower Tomás Lavanini sat out late October with a sprained ankle but is fine for November. His non-selection coincides with Matias Alemanno returning. He and fellow veteran Guido Petti are joined by Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo and Efraín Eliás. Rubiolo and / or Elías may be used at flanker while on tour.
Loose Head prop Mayco Vivas and Tight Head prop Lucio Sordoni both played in the Rugby Championship but were overtaken. Sordoni started against New Zealand in Auckland with the scrum bering a weak point. Vivas has fallen behind Ignacio Calles.
Back-rowers Facundo Isa and Rodrigo Bruni have not played for Argentina since Rugby World Cup 2023. Back in January, Isa announced he would be taking the year off from international duty. Bruni and Bayonne teammate, Facundo Bosch are notable exclusions with younger players preferred.
Injury has seen first-choice winger Emiliano Boffelli ruled out for the year. Ignacio Mendy impressed against Uruguay this year but has otherwise not played and is missing for November. Regular Tight Head Eduardo Bello is also out for the remainder of 2024. First choice inside center Santiago Chocobares is recovering from injury. Veteran Jerónimo de la Fuente has not been called-up to replace Chocobares. de la Fuente recently became a father for the second-time.
Of the missing players three have been marked as potentially returning to face Ireland and / or France. They are Tomás Lavanini, Joaquín Moro and Santiago Carreras.
| ARGENTINA ROSTER – MISSING XV |
1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Facundo Bosch, 3 Lucio Sordoni, 4 Lucas Paulos, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer (Capt.), 8 Joaquín Moro, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Mateo Carreras, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 15 Emiliano Boffelli
| ARGENTINA ROSTER – UNCAPPED PLAYERS |
The non-selection of Facundo Bosch, who was hooker of the month for October in the Top 14, comes with Bautista Bernasconi being selected. Bernasconi has been on the roster this year but is uncapped. He joins captain Julián Montoya and Ignacio Ruiz as the hooker options for November.
Bristol Bears rookie Benjamín Elizalde made the roster. He has played fullback, wing and outside center this year while representing Los Pumitas, Los Pampas or the Bristol Bears. Fellow utility back, Gerónimo Prisciantelli has also been selected. He covers fullback, inside center and fly half. He comes in for Santiago Carreras. A likely scenario is Prisciantelli covering fly half; alternatively, Mallía will do so with Elizalde covering fullback.
Two of Elizalde’s teammates from Los Pampas in Super Rugby Americas have also been selected. Uncapped winger Santiago Pernas and inside center Justo Piccardo are on the roster. Pernas is in for Mateo Carreras while Piccardo is replacing Santiago Chocobares.
| LOS PUMAS – MISSED CAMP |
Two players on the November roster were not involved in the Paris training camp. Tight Head prop Joel Sclavi and flanker Santiago Grondona have both men selected for the November Internationals. Their non-involvement in the camp saw others included. Flankers Francisco Gorrissen, and Benjamín Grondona are out of the tour as is tight head prop Francisco Coria Marchetti.
Joaquin Moro was involved in the camp but will sit out the start, or all, of the November Internationals. The rookie Pumas N8 suffered a knock during the training camp in Paris. Joaquín Oviedo is the one specialist N8 on the roster.
Loose Head Rodrigo Martínez has also been cut from the roster. Ignacio Calles and Thomas Gallo are the two specialist Loose Head props on the 35-man roster. Joel Sclavi can cover Loose Head and did so at Rugby World Cup 2023.
| LOS PUMAS – FORWARDS |
LOOSE HEAD PROP
Ignacio Calles (Pau, FR; 5 caps)
Thomas Gallo (Benetton, IT; 32 caps)
HOOKER
Bautista Bernasconi (Benetton, IT; uncapped)
Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers, GB-ENG; 102 caps)
Ignacio Ruiz (Perpignan, FR; 15 caps)
TIGHT HEAD PROP
Pedro Delgado (Dogos; 2 caps)
Francisco Gómez Kodela (Stade Français, FR; 38 caps)
Joel Sclavi (La Rochelle, FR; 24 caps)
SECOND-ROW
Matías Alemanno (Gloucester, GB-ENG; 97 caps)
Efraín Elías (Toulouse, FR; 1 cap)
Franco Molina (Exeter Chiefs, GB-ENG; 9 caps)
Guido Petti (Bordeaux, FR; 85 caps)
Pedro Rubiolo (Newcastle Falcons, GB-ENG; 17 caps)
FLANKER
Juan Martín González (Saracens, GB-ENG; 37 caps)
Santiago Grondona (Bristol Bears, GB-ENG; 18 caps)
Bautista Pedemonte (Vannes, FR; 1 cap)
N8
Joaquin Oviedo (Perpignan, FR; 10 caps)
| LOS PUMAS – BACKS |
SCRUM-HALF
Lautaro Bazán Vélez (Benneton, IT; 17 caps)
Gonzalo Bertranou (unattached; 65 caps)
Gonzalo García (Zebre, IT; 8 caps)
FLY HALF
Tomás Albornoz (Benetton, IT; 14 caps)
Gerónimo Prisciantelli (Zebre, IT; uncapped)
CENTER
Lucio Cinti (Saracens, GB-ENG; 29 caps)
Matías Moroni (unattached; 86 caps)
Matías Orlando (Miami Sharks, US; 61 caps)
Justo Piccardo (Pampas; uncapped)
WING
Santiago Cordero (Connacht, IE; 53 caps)
Bautista Delguy (Clermont, FR; 30 caps)
Rodrigo Isgró (Harlequins, GB-ENG; 4 caps)
Santiago Pernas (Pampas; uncapped)
FULLBACK
Benjamín Elizalde (Bristol Bears, GB-ENG; uncapped)
Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse, FR; 39 caps)
| ARGENTINA – 2024 NOVEMBER INTERNATIONALS |
Nov 09 
VS(Udine, IT)
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Adam Leal (England)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Búnker: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Nov 15 
VS (Dublin, IE)
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Bunker: Andrew Jackson (England)
Nov 23
VS(Paris, FR)
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant Referees: Andrea Piardi (Italy); Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
Bunker: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
