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Argentina will be without captain Julián Montoya against Uruguay on Saturday. Montoya suffered a rib injury in the win over France in Buenos Aires. He was replaced very early by Ignacio Ruiz. The Perpignan hooker played three-quarters of the match.
Los Pumas are preparing for the test match by spending the week in Uruguay. Montoya is with the team but has been ruled-out of playing. Ruiz is now likely to be elevated to be the starting hooker. The replacement is a player not originally on the roster.
Felipe Contepomi’s July roster featured three hookers: Montoya, Ruiz and Bautista Bernasconi. Montoya and Ruiz played both matches against France while Bernasconi is uncapped. He was unable to be considered for a debut against Les Bleus after picking-up an injury.
Bernasconi’s earliest possible debut will be in the Rugby Championship. Before then another hooker will pull on a Pumas shirt. The uncapped Tomás Bartolini has joined the team in Uruguay. Bartolini is a Super Rugby Americas champion. He impressive for Los Dogos throughout their title-winning campaign this year.
Bartolini was the top try-scorer of Super Rugby Americas 2024 with 9 tries. His pathway to Los Pumas has been following the production pathway. He plays for Argentina u20 and was recruited for Super Rugby Americas. He is now officially ahead of Pumas playing in Europe including Agustín Creevy, Facundo Bosch and Santiago Socino.
The 21-year-old Bartolini is a product of Marista Rugby Club in Mendoza. The same club produced Juan Martín González, one of the best Argentine performers from Rugby World Cup 2023. After a long season with Saracens, González is being rested during July. Meanwhile, Marista’s Bartolini looks set to debut as the replacement hooker against Uruguay.
