Argentina Makes Changes to Roster for Home Series vs Australia

Felipe Contepomi has updated Argentina’s roster for the home series against Australia. Los Pumas will face the Wallabies in La Plata on Saturday, August 39 and in Santa Fé on Saturday, September 07. The series is the first home opportunity for the South Americans in the 2024 Rugby Championship.

The matches will both new new. Argentina will face Australia for the first time in both cities. Argentina’s prior fifteen home test matches against the Wallabies were played in Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta and San Juan.

Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies are coming off a home series defeat against South Africa. The Springboks were 33-7 winners in Brisbane and 30-12 winners in Perth. This places Australia in bottom spot ion the Rugby Championship after two rounds.

Contepomi’s Pumas proved to be highly inconsistent in New Zealand. Argentina defeated the All Blacks 38-30 in Wellington only to lose 42-10 on week later in Auckland. The outcome means New Zealand are second and Argentina third in the standings behind South Africa.

Argentina’s roster to take-on the Wallabies feature changes. Matías Moroni, who started both matches on the right wing, is out injured. Fellow outside back Martín Bogado toured but did not play. He is also out. Their places have gone to Ignacio Mendy and Rodrigo Isgró. Mendy scored a hat-trick against Uruguay in July while Isgró played at the Olympic Games.

Additional inclusions see Guido Petti, Santiago Grondona, and Justo Piccardo included. Petti last played for Los Pumas at the World Cup. Grondona was injured in the final warm-up match before the tournament. Piccardo is uncapped but trained with the roster in July. Pumitas second-rower Luciano Asevedo is also on the roster as an invitational player.

Petti’s inclusion comes with Efraín Elías out. The new Toulouse recruit, who debuted against New Zealand, may return to face to face South Africa. Grondona has now recovered from his injury and ready to play.

ARGENTINA – FORWARDS

LOOSE HEAD PROP  
Thomas Gallo (Benetton, IT)
Joel Sclavi (La Rochelle, FR)
Mayco Vivas (Gloucester, GB-ENG)

HOOKER
Agustín Creevy (unattached)
Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers, GB-ENG)
Ignacio Ruiz (Perpignan, FR)

TIGHT HEAD PROP  
Eduardo Bello (Newcastle Falcons, GB-ENG)
Lucio Sordoni (Glasgow Warriors, GB-SCO)

SECOND-ROW
Luciano Asevedo (Liceo RC)
Tomás Lavanini (Lyon, FR)
Franco Molina (Dogos)
Guido Petti (Bordeaux, FR)
Pedro Rubiolo (Newcastle Falcons, GB-ENG)

FLANKER
Juan Martín González (Saracens, GB-ENG)
Santiago Grondona (Bristol Bears, GB-ENG)
Marcos Kremer (Clermont, FR)
Pablo Matera (Honda Heat, JP)
Juan Bautista Pedemonte (Vannes, FR)

N8
Joaquín Oviedo (Perpignan, FR)

ARGENTINA – BACKS

SCRUM-HALF
Lautaro Bazán Vélez (Benetton, IT)
Gonzalo Bertranou (unattached)
Gonzalo García (Zebre, IT)

FLY HALF
Tomás Albornoz (Benetton, IT)
Santiago Carreras (Gloucester, GB-ENG)

CENTER
Santiago Chocobares (Toulouse, FR)
Lucio Cinti (Saracens, GB-ENG)
Matías Orlando (Miami Sharks, US)
Justo Piccardo (Pampas)

WING
Mateo Carreras (Bayonne, FR)
Santiago Cordero (Connacht, IE)
Bautista Delguy (Clermont)
Rodrigo Isgró (Los Pumas 7’s)
Ignacio Mendy (Benetton, IT)

FULLBACK
Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse, FR)