Hourcade Names 30-Man Pumas Training Camp With new Faces

Daniel Hourcade has named a 30-Man Pumas roster for a training camp. Included are new faces in both the forwards and backs. The 30 players are going to have a session in Pilar on Friday, May 11.

The training camp is to strictly be analysis. There will be no physical training. As such injured players Pablo Matera and Matías Moroni have both been included. Left out are Enrique Pieretto and Joaquin Tuculet, players requiring lengthily recoveries who will miss the Rugby Championship.

Pieretto is expected to be back to fitness in August and while both Matera and Moroni are due back before then. Moroni is back to training actively and may yet be considered for Los Jaguares’ two home matches before the June Internationals.

In the absence of Pieretto Mario Ledesma has utilized uncapped players. These include Felipe Arregui, Javier Díaz, Santiago Medrano and Juan Pablo Zeiss. Hourcade has included Díaz, Medrano and Zeiss are invitees for Friday’s camp.

All 30 players named by Hourcade are Argentine based. They are either contracted to the UAR as Jaguares players or are fringe options, namely graduates of the Argentina XV. They are to be joined by European-Based players for the June Internationals and Rugby Championship.

The final roster for the June Internationals will train in the final week of May. This will occur before the respective European League club finals. The make-up of the roster may depend on which clubs are involved.

Looking to cover all the bases Hourcade has uncapped Jaguares Bautista Delguy, Bautista Ezcurra, and Juan Cruz Mallía among the backs. There are also places for Santiago González Iglesias, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, and Leonardo Senatore despite receiving little game time under Ledesma.

In June Los Pumas will play two matches against Wales and one against Scotland. Both British unions have named their rosters for the tours. Wales will play in San Juan and Santa Fé on June 09 and 16 while Scotland will do so in Resistencia on June 23.

ARGENTINA
Forwards: Matías Alemanno, Agustín Creevy (capt.), Javier Díaz, Santiago García Botta, Marcos Kremer, Tomás Lavanini, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, Tomás Lezana, Pablo Matera, Santiago Medrano, Julián Montoya, Javier Otrega Desio, Guido Petti, Leonardo Senatore, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Juan Pablo Zeiss.

Backs: Gonzalo Bertranou, Emiliano Boffelli, Sebastián Cancelliere, Tomás Cubelli, Jerónimo de la Fuente, Bautista Delguy, Bautista Ezcurra, Santiago González Iglesias, Martín Landajo, Juan Cruz Mallía, Matías Moroni, Ramiro Moyano, Matías Orlando, Nicolás Sánchez.