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2025 may be a make or break year for a number of Argentine players. Felipe Contepomi handed seven players their first test caps in 2024 and more may follow in 2025. His team selections came with less experienced players receiving opportunities across a range of positions.
Below is a look at 10 Pumas who may be under pressure for places in 2025. All players are capped by Argentina and all play their rugby in European elite professional competitions. The club season will enable them the opportunity to impress Contepomi and his staff during the first half of 2024. This period may be bake or break ahead of Argentina’s busy 2025.
| LH – NAHUEL TETAZ CHAPARRO |
The most capped Pumas prop of all-time did not play for Argentina in 2024. The 35-year-old Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (78 caps) last represented his country in the 2023 Rugby Championship. Injury forced him out of the World Cup. Thomas Gallo (35 caps) has a firm hold on the starting loose head position while Contepomi gave Mayco Vivas (27 caps) one test start in 2024 and utilized Ignacio Calles (8 caps) as the understudy to Gallo in the later rounds of the Rugby Championship and in November. Rodrigo Martínez (3 caps) trained with the team but did not earn a cap in 2024. This suggests that, although Tetaz Chaparro has 78 appearances, he faces an uphill challenge to reach 80 caps.
| HO – FACUNDO BOSCH |
Facundo Bosch was the second-choice hooker to Julián Montoya under Mario Ledesma in 2020-2021. Bosch was a try-scorer in the win over Italy in November. However, that result was a high point in a low year for Los Pumas. Ledesma was replaced by Michael Cheika and the Australian recalled Agustín Creevy to be the regular understudy hooker. Santiago Socino (6 caps) and Ignacio Ruiz (17 caps) were both used in 2022. Montoya (105 caps), Creevy (110 caps) and Ruiz were selected for 2023 under Cheika and in 2024 under Contepomi while prop Ignacio Calles played as the replacement hooker against Uruguay and Bautista Bernasconi was also selected but remains uncapped. Bosch has 12 caps but has been stranded on that number now for over two years. Notwithstanding, Bosch is doing what he needs to as he is a regular for Bayonne and featured in multiple Top 14 Team of the Week selections in 2024.
| TH – SANTIAGO MEDRANO |
Santiago Medrano (31 caps) was a regular tight head prop under Ledesma but has since been out of favor; Contepomi did not select him in 2024. Joel Sclavi (27 caps) and Eduardo Bello (27 caps) are Contepomi’s first top two tight head props. Lucio Sordoni (7 caps) started once; however, the scrum struggled that day. Injury to Bello saw Pedro Delgado (2 caps) called up from Super Rugby Americas. Delgado debuted against South Africa. In July Francisco Corria Marchetti’s made his debut against Uruguay. Contepomi recalled 39-year-old Francisco Gómez Kodela for November. It was an emergency measure in which Sordoni, Corria Marchetti and Medrano missed out. The scrum could be make or break for Medrano earning a recall in 2025. He is receiving more than adequate game time for Vannes to press for a spot on Contepomi’s 2025 roster.
| LO – LUCAS PAULOS |
Los Pumas’ second-row picture altered in 2024. Matías Alemanno (98 caps), Guido Petti (87 caps) and Tomás Lavanini (91 caps) were constants under Cheika, Ledesma and Daniel Hourcade. However, the trio were Argentina’s regular three second-rowers for Rugby World Cups 2015, 2019 and 2023. Lucas Paulos (12 caps) debuted under Ledesma and played under both Cheika and Contepomi but was his test duty in 2024 was limited to July. Franco Molina (12 caps) debuted in July and went on to play in all of Argentina’s test matches in Contepomi’s rookie season in charge. Pedro Rubiolo (20 caps) became first-choice in 2024 while Efraín Elías (1 cap) debuted against New Zealand and the uncapped Luciano Acevedo trained with the roster. In short, the competition is fierce and Paulos will need to impress for Bayonne in order to receive a Pumas recall.
| FL – FRANCISCO GORRISSEN |
Francisco Gorrissen (2 caps) earned a recall to Argentina in 2024 but did not get game time. He had an impressive year, captaining Vannes to promotion from the Pro D2 to the Top 14. His teammate, Bautista Pedemonte (2 caps), debuted for Argentina in July 2024. Joaquín Moro (1 cap), who debuted against Uruguay, was the only other rookie back-rower in 2024. Moro, Pedemonte and Gorrissen were on the training roster for November as was the uncapped Benjamín Grondona. Gorrissen faces opposition from these players. They are all fighting for places to join Juan Martín González (40 caps), Santiago Grondona (19 caps), Marcos Kremer (73 caps), and Pablo Matera (109 caps) in 2025. Will Gorrissen’s experience, workrate and leadership see a recall in 2025?
| N8 – RODRIGO BRUNI |
Rodrigo Bruni (26 caps) was named on Felipe Contepomi’s first training roster but he missed all of 2024 for Los Pumas, citing mental fatigue. Fellow N8 Facundo Isa (51 caps) also sat out the year. Both men had busy 2022-2023 seasons and the 2023 World Cup year. Under Cheika, Pablo Matera and Juan Martín González both had starts at N8. Contepomi settled on Joaquín Oviedo (13 caps) as his first-choice specialist. Joaquín Moro’s regular position is also at the back of the scrum, though his one cap thus far was at flanker. During his year off, Facundo Isa’s stocks have not fallen. His form for Toulon suggests that he will return to the roster if he makes himself available. Isa started the Bronze Final at the World Cup ahead of Bruni. He also played more for Toulon than Bruni did for Bayonne in the 2023-2024 Top 14 season.
| SH – LAUTARO BAZÁN VÉLEZ |
Lautaro Bazán Vélez (17 caps), Gonzalo Bertranou (67 caps) and Tomás Cubelli (93 caps) were the Argentine scrum-halves at Rugby World Cup 2023. Cheika used them on a rotational basis with Bazán Vélez the replacement for Bertranou in the Semi Final and for Cubelli in the Bronze Final. Cubelli did not play for Argentina in 2024. He said he will play for Los Pumas again if it is best for the team. Bertranou started 9 times for Argentina in 2024, Bazán Vélez once and Gonzalo García twice. García has played more frequently for Zebre Parma than has Bazán Vélez for Benetton this season. Additional pressure on Bazán Vélez may come from Super Rugby Americas; indeed, the uncapped Agustín Moyano impressed in 2024 for Los Dogos.
| FH – DOMINGO MIOTTI |
The Pumas fly half ranks changed in 2024. Santiago Cordero (53 caps) was the regular starter under Michael Cheika after Mario Ledesma moved him from fullback to fly half. It was under Ledesma that Carreras overtook Nicolás Sánchez (104 caps). Contepomi started Carreras at fly half in five test matches and Tomás Albornoz (17 caps) in seven in 2024. Sánchez did not play nor did fellow veteran Benjamín Urdapilleta (19 caps). The uncapped Gerónimo Prisciantelli trained with the roster before the November Internationals but Domingo Miotti (5 caps) did not. Miotti last played for Argentina in July 2022. His game time under Cheika was limited to 4 minutes. Miotti played 20 matches in the 2022-2023 Top 14 season for Oyonnax but just 4 so far in the ongoing season for Montpellier. He will need regular game time for selection alongside Albornoz and Carreras. A final factor of note is that while Miotti is a specialist 10, Prisciantelli covers fullback and inside center.
| WI – SANTIAGO CORDERO |
Santiago Cordero (54 caps) had one start on the wing and two at fullback for Argentina in 2024. He debuted in 2013 under Daniel Hourcade. Cordero and Juan Imhoff (43 caps) were the starting Pumas wingers at Rugby World Cup 2015. Matías Moroni (80 caps) had one start on the wing in 2015 and two in 2024. Cordero missed Rugby World Cup 2023 as did Bautista Delguy (33 caps) who had 7 starts on the wing in 2024. Mateo Carreras (27 caps) had the most with 9. Rodrigo Isgró (7 caps), who debuted under Cheika, had 4 starts in 2024 while Ignacio Mendy (2 caps) matched Cordero with 1 start on the wing. Neither Sebastián Cancelliere (8 caps) nor Emiliano Boffelli (59 caps) played for Argentina in 2024. The latter missed out through injury. The wing picture suggests Cordero may be covering fullback in 2025.
| FB – MARTÍN BOGADO |
Martín Bogado (4 caps) started Argentina’s first test match under Felipe Contepomi but did not play again. Juan Cruz Mallía (42 caps) started 8 test matches for Argentina in 2024 at fullback. Santiago Cordero (54 caps) started twice and Santiago Carreras (53 caps) started once. The uncapped Benjamín Elizalde and Gerónimo Prisciantelli both trained with Contepomi’s roster before the November Internationals. Bogado can fight his way back into contention in the first six months of 2024. With Santiago Cordero being used as a utility, Bogado is arguably up against Cordero, Elizalde and Prisciantelli to be the understudy to Mallía. In all likelihood, Toulouse players will miss Los Pumas’ June test match against the British & Irish Lions.
