Hourcade names Pumas squad with surprises to face French Barbarians

Los Pumas Head Coach Daniel Hourcade has selected a thirty-one man squad to prepare for the upcoming non-capped internationals against the French Barbarians. The two match series will see Rugby World Cup hopefuls given the opportunity to press for selection in the 31 man Pumas squad for the World Cup.

Argentina will play host to the French Barbarians on Saturday June 20 and Friday July 26 in Rosario and La Plata. The touring French side is made up of players contracted to Top 14 clubs with former Puma Benjamín Urdapilleta among the players selected for the tour.

The matches are to be the third stage of Argentina’s Rugby World Cup preparation and the final one before the Rugby Championship. Argentina previously played non-capped matches against the USA Select XV and played CONSUR Cup matches against Uruguay and Paraguay which were followed by a game against the Fiji Warriors in Colonia, Uruguay.

The lack of a global season meant that Hourcade has been unable to call upon leading players contracted abroad until now. While the Guinness Pro 12 and Aviva Premiership competitions have both reached their conclusions this season the Top 14 is yet to have it’s final. As such Argentina is yet to have a full-strength squad and will not field one against the French Barbarians.

The squad selected by Hourcade, nonetheless, welcomes back Lucas González Amorosino, Nicolás Sanáncez, Joaquín Tuculet, Benjamín Macome and Francisco Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro for the first time since 2014. In including these players Hourcade said ”(they) are included because we want them to have competition and Juan Pablo Socino is someone we have been following for a while and wanted to give a try.”

Socino’s inclusion is of note as the Newcastle Falcons inside centre remains uncapped despite having been performing consistently in England in recent seasons. It comes ahead of not only Benjamín Urdapilleta but also Santiago Fernández who played this past season at fly half for Bayonne in the Top 14.

Back-rower Pablo Matera was not considered for the matches due to an ongoing shoulder injury. He started together with Juan Manuel Leguizamón and Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe for a fully-fit and available Pumas team in the 2014 Rugby Championship. The trio are a sample of those missing that are expected to feature in the World Cup.

Argentina last faced the French Barbarians in 2011. The two match series saw Argentina winning the first 23-19 in Avallaneda but the visitors winning 21-18 in Resistencia. Prior to that Los Pumas won 32-18 in Buenos Aires in 2009 and 28-14 in Biarritz in 2007.

Argentina

Forwards
Lisandro Ahualli de Chazal (Universitario, Tucumán), Matías Alemanno (UAR), Rodrigo Báez (UAR), Matías Cortese (Unattached), Matías Díaz (UAR), Santiago Iglesias Valdez (UAR), Facundo Isa (UAR), Tomás Lezana (UAR), Benjamín Macome (Bayonne, France), Julián Montoya (UAR), Lucas Noguera Paz (UAR), Javier Ortega Desio (UAR), Guido Petti Pagadizabal (UAR), Bruno Postiglioni (Zebre, Italy), Francisco Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (UAR),

Backs
Gabriel Ascárate (UAR), Santiago Cordero (Regatas Bella Vista, URBA), Tomás Cubelli (UAR), Jerónimo De la Fuente (UAR), Felipe Ezcurra (Hindú Club, URBA), Lucas González Amorosino (Cardiff Blues, Wales), Santiago González Iglesias (UAR), Martín Landajo (UAR), Román Miralles (Duendes RC, Rosario), Manuel Montero (UAR), Matías Moroni (UAR), Ramiro Moyano (UAR), Matías Orlando (UAR), Nicolás Sánchez (UAR), Juan Pablo Socino (Newcastle Falcons, England), Joaquín Tuculet (UAR)