New Blood From the Hourcade Regime

From October 2013 to June 2018 Los Pumas were coached by Daniel Hourcade. During the Hourcade regime a total of 22 players earned their first caps for Argentina. These players were the new blood from the Hourcade regime.

Hourcade’s first match in charge was against England in London in November 2013. For the tour to Europe Argentina had lost regular starting right winger, Gonzalo Camacho to injury. This saw Horacio Agulla and Juan Imhoff starting on the wings with 19-year-old Santiago Cordero covering from the bench. Cordero would win his first cap replacing Imhoff who was injured in the match.

Hourcade’s impact would be felt in June 2014. El Huevo took the decision to not select European-Based players for to face Ireland and Scotland, instead utilizing domestic players with an eye to them being joined by Europeans for the Rugby Championship.

Earning their first caps in the series were seven players. They were props Ramiro Herrera and Lucas Noguera Paz, hooker Julián Montoya, second-rower Matías Alemanno, fly half Santiago González Iglesias and centers Jerónimo de la Fuente and Matías Moroni. He would take all of them, and Cordero, to the World Cup in 2015.

The 2-14 Rugby Championship saw no players making their Pumas debuts. In November Argentina toured Scotland, Italy, and France. Earning their first caps were no 8 Facundo Isa, flanker Tomás Lezana, and second-rowers Juan Cruz Guillemaín, Guido Petti, and Lucas Ponce. Isa and Petti would go to RWC 2015.

There were no June Internationals in 2015. This made the Rugby Championship the first opportunity for test caps in the RWC year. Hourcade handed center Juan Pablo Socino his first cap against Australia in Mendoza.

Following the World Cup Argentina’s selection policy changed. No longer eligible for Los Pumas were players contracted to European clubs. As such those involved with Los Jaguares would have a direct route to Los Pumas even if they were not the same quality as players based in Europe.

This meant that not only was it simpler for home-based players to earn caps but they would also earn many more due to the lack of competition for places. Some of those to have been capped in 2016-2018 have established themselves as among Argentina’s finest while others are arguably benefiting from circumstances.

In 2016 and 2017 Marcos Kremer would play in the Junior World Championship. He would also play in the Rugby Championship both years. Missing out in 2016 was Emiliano Boffelli due to undergoing knee surgery. His debut would come in 2017 as would Gonzalo Bertranou against England in June.

In November Argentina XV scrum-half Sebastián Cancelliere would debut but do so on the wing. He has gone on to be used in the position for both Los Pumas and now Los Jaguares in 2018.

The recent home series against Wales and Scotland saw four players earning their first caps. They were props Javier Díaz and Santiago Medrano, winger Bautista Delguy and fullback Juan Cruz Mallía. Of the four only Delguy has had regular game time in Super Rugby.

At the other end of the scale there was one player who featured in every test match under Hourcade – Martín Landajo. The scrum half either started or was on the bench for all 54 matches of the Hourcade regime.