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Los Pumas Head Coach Daniel Hourcade has confirmed a 28-man squad for the opening round Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks in Christchurch. Argentina will face the world’s highest ranked team and reigning World Cup champions at AMI Stadium on Friday July 17 with kick-off scheduled for 4:35am Argentine time.
In naming 28 players Hourcade has cut eight from the group of 36 based in Sydney undergoing a pre-tournament training regime. The squad is to play a warm-up training match today against local club Randwick at Latham Park.
In naming his list for the All Blacks Hourcade clarified: ”we are reaching the programmed steps and are taking into account how each player is (physically). We have a customized game plan, there are players who are in a period of preparation and others that are carrying minor injuries and we prefer to not risk them. Based on this and the minutes played and recuperation time from the end of the club season we have selected this squad”.
Argentina is participating in the Rugby Championship for the fourth time after having debuted in 2012. This year’s tournament is reduced due to it being a Rugby World Cup year. The change sees Argentina opening against New Zealand for the first time. In previous years Los Pumas began their campaign in South Africa.
Los Pumas are to travel to Christchurch on Saturday and remain there until next Sunday, two days after the test match. Argentina will then play host to Australia in Mendoza on Saturday July 25 in a repeat of what was the South Americans first win in the tournament last October.
Modifications to the squad are certain with Hourcade having previously confirmed that squad members are to play no more than 150-200 minutes during the four upcoming internationals. Those left out of the Christchurch test are therefore likely to return for either Mendoza or to face South Africa.
For the All Blacks test Hourcade opted against selecting Gonzalo Camacho who requires additional time to be fully prepared. Juan Martín Hernández will also miss the fixture after having suffered a minor injury in the Top 14 Semi Final playing for Toulon. Also absent are Tomás Lavanini, Pablo Matera and Leonardo Senatore with minor injuries while Felipe Ezcurra, Santiago Iglesias Valdez and Tomás Lezana have been left out based on selection.
The missing players will leave the squad to return to Argentina where they will train in Buenos Aires together with other squad members who were not included in the camp in Sydney – Gabriel Ascarate, Rodrigo Báez, Matías Cortese, Santiago García Botta and Juan Cruz Guillemain.
In comparison to the 2014 match-day 23 that faced the All Blacks there are six alterations with Missing are Hernández, Senatore, Lavanini, Báez, Cortese and Mariano Galarza missing. Of those selected this year tenplayers – Manuel Carizza, Benjamín Macome, Facundo Isa, Julián Montoya, Javier Ortega Desio, Guido Petti Pagadizabal, Santiago Cordero, Jerónimo De la Fuente, Matías Moroni and Juan Pablo Socino were not involved in the corresponding fixture.
Argentina 28 man Squad
Forwards
Matías Alemanno (UAR), Marcos Ayerza (Leicester Tigers, England), Manuel Carizza (Racing 92, France), Agustín Creevy (UAR), Matías Díaz (UAR), Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Toulon, France), Ramiro Herrera (UAR), Facundo Isa (UAR), Juan Manuel Leguizamón (unattached), Benjamin Macome (Bayonne, France), Julián Montoya (UAR), Lucas Noguera Paz (UAR), Javier Ortega Desio (UAR), Guido Petti Pagadizabal (UAR), Francisco Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (UAR)
Backs
Horacio Agulla (Bath, England), Marcelo Bosch (Saracens, England), Santiago Cordero (UAR), Tomás Cubelli (UAR), Jerónimo De la Fuente (UAR), Lucas González Amorosino (unattached), Santiago González Iglesias (UAR), Juan Imhoff (Racing 92, France), Martín Landajo (UAR), Matías Moroni (UAR), Nicolás Sánchez (UAR), Juan Pablo Socino (Newcastle Falcons, England), Joaquín Tuculet (UAR)
