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Argentina’s play-makers have struggled in 2017. The bad news for Los Pumas is that the problem is not going to go away. Rather it is an unsolvable fly half conundrum in which there are no players to be called upon to steady the ship.
No Man’s Land
Nicolás Sánchez was outplayed by George Ford in June and by Elton Jantjies in week one of the Rugby Championship. Daniel Hourcade cut him from the starting line-up for game two in Salta. This saw 35-year-old Juan Martín Hernández playing in the pivotal position.
Sánchez lost his spot due to being outperformed. Hernández was unable to lay a solid foundation as steady, reliable play. Instead he was erratic. Kicks went out on the full, passes did not go to hand and a certain try was missed.
Hourcade and his staff will be analyzing the footage to determine where to go from here. Following the defeat in Salta he said the upcoming matches away to New Zealand and Australia are to be the toughest of the year.
Will he field Sánchez or Hernández or an alternative? Whatever the option he and Argentina are in no man’s land.
Before identifying alternatives let me identify three contemporary examples to illustrate Argentina’s conundrum.
Australia
Bernard Foley is the leading Wallabies option at fly half. He has his strengths as he does his weaknesses. Indeed his goal-kicking recently cost Australia victory over New Zealand. Were he to be dropped or injured are there ready alternatives?
Within the roster there is Kurtley Beale. He is playing inside center though did start 9 tests from 2012-2014 at fly half. Reece Hodge is another option on the roster. Left out is Quade Cooper, a vastly experienced player ready to be called-up. Thus even with Matt Toomua and Matt Giteau no longer options Australia has adequate fly half cover ready if required.
England
English Head Coach Eddie Jones fields George Ford at 10 and Owen Farrell at 12. Both are natural fly halves. Farrell played for the British & Irish Lions in June and July. This saw Jones forced to find alternatives. Ford was the starting 10 and went for fly halves at 12 in both matches. Alex Lozowski and Piers Francis each had one start.
Four years prior Freddie Burns played 10 in Argentina and had great success. He is still just 27 years of age. Toby Flood is back in England and is three years younger than Hernández. He could add to his 60 caps if required. Danny Cipriani is another and despite his experience he is still in his 20’s. Alternatively Jones could select Stephen Myler or move squad member Henry Slade into the position.
France
Guy Noves’ team has been criticized for failing to score tries. Heavy losses involving a lack of enterprising play have been frequent. He inherited a slow and weak French side from his predecessor.
Efforts to change the side have seen changes including at fly half. Camille Lopez is his top player in the position. He missed the June tour to South Africa. In his place were François Trinh-Duc and Jules Plisson who both started. Jean-Marc Doussain had a start last November.
There is no shortage of criticism directed at all of these alternatives to Lopez. France, though, has others to look at playing in the Top 14. One is Bordeaux scrum-half Baptiste Serin. He has the skill-set to move to fly half if required. Another is 21-year-old Anthony Belleau, a natural fly half and one doing very well for himself at Toulon.
Jaguares
Argentina cannot match any of these three for one simple reason – there are no players outside of Los Jaguares to select. Australia, England and France all have professional players ready. With just one Super Rugby team Argentina’s alternatives are short on game time.
Santiago González Iglesias is in theory the third choice fly half. Injuries meant he started in the position against Australia last October. He has been in PladAR and Jaguares since 2010 though never as the first choice player. For both Argentina and Jaguares he has effectively been a utility bench player.
Just months after starting against Australia, González Iglesias lost his spot to Joaquín Díaz Bonilla. The Super Rugby season opener saw Díaz Bonilla starting at fly half. He would be used in the position ahead of González Iglesias throughout the campaign. Bautista Ezcurra also overshadowed González Iglesias as an option for inside center.
For the Argentina XV Juan Cruz González and Domingo Miotti are the leading fly halves. The former had the best match of his career in the win over Toulon last month. The latter is presently sidelined through injury.
Realistically there are no other options. This is why it is an unsolvable fly half conundrum. Patricio Fernández and Benjamín Urdapilleta are playing regularly for Clermont and Castres. The former is, by all accounts, Argentina’s best alternative to Sánchez and Hernández but Europeans cannot be selected.
