Argentina Name 28-man Roster for June Internationals

Argentina Head Coach Daniel Hourcade has announced a 28-man roster for the June Internationals. Los Pumas will play three home tests, beginning with hosting Italy in Santa Fé on Saturday June 11.

Hourcade’s 28-man roster will begin training on Monday June 06 in Buenos Aires and will travel to Santa Fé on Thursday June 09.

Agustín Creevy will captain the side which contains some twenty players who were involved in Los Pumas’ Rugby World Cup 2015 campaign in England and Wales.

Missing through suspension are Ramiro Herrera, Tomás Lavanini and Leonardo Senatore while Rodrigo Báez, Emiliano Boffelli, Juan Cruz Guillemáin and Lucas Noguera Paz are out through injury. Also missing are European based players. Some, though many be selected to face France.

For Italy, however, Hourcade has made the choice to play without a specialist second-rower on the bench. Despite Cruz Guillemaín and Lavanini being sidelined only Matías Alemanno and Guido Petti have been picked by El Huevo. Back-rower Javier Ortega Desio will be called upon to play out of position from the bench if required. The decision underlines the likelihood of seeing Mariano Galarza added.

For now the only non-Argentine based player on the roster is Tomás Cubelli. He is one of three scrum halves named, an un orthodox selection from Hourcade who has has depth in all positions except for the second-row.

Unlike at Rugby World Cup 2015 Hourcade has picked three specialist hooker and scrum halves. Included are Facundo Bosch and Gonzalo Bertranou. Utility Juan Manuel Leguizamón will cover Facundo Isa at 8.

Hourcade underlined the importance of the matches: “all of Los Pumas matches this year are important because of the ranking and draw for the groups for the next Rugby World Cup. We have to, at least, finish as one of the top eight countries“.