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Nicolás Sánchez will become Argentina’s most capped player of all-time on Sunday. The fly half from Tucumán will earn his 90th test cap, thereby setting a new Pumas record. He presently has 89 test caps, the same number as former teammate and captain Agustín Creevy.
Sánchez has been a Puma since 2010. He made his test debut across the border against Uruguay in May 2010. It came not across the Rio de la Plata but across the Andes as Argentina faced Uruguay in Santiago. The following year he was selected for RWC 2011 and in November 2012 he became Los Pumas’ starting fly half.
Now in 2021, Sánchez moves past Creevy. His record as the most-capped Puma in history is no minor accomplishment. In the past year, Sánchez has surpassed Mario Ledesma (84 caps), Martín Landajo (84 caps), Rolando Martín (86 caps), Lisandro Arbizu (86 caps), Juan Manuel Leguizamón (87 caps), and Felipe Contepomi (87 caps).
Creevy’s total of 89 caps is the final milestone for Sánchez to overcome in terms of Pumas. It will also see Sánchez becoming second on the all-time list of most capped player in the Americas. The leader is Uruguay’s Diego Magno who earned his 93rd cap last month against Brazil.
Sánchez created additional history earlier this year. He became the first Puma to score 800 points in test rugby. He goes into Sunday’s match against New Zealand with 833 test points. He scored all 25 points for Argentina in the historic win over New Zealand in 2020.
The 32-year-old Sánchez may yet make further history. He is closing in on the mark of 850 points and Magno’s cap record. Sánchez may end 2021 as the Americas most capped player.
