Big names missing from Pumas squad
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS: Argentina has named a 46-man squad in preparation of this year’s Rugby Championship as training restarts following a five-month hiatus.
No rugby has been played in Argentina – which has been plagued by COVID-19 cases – since March, when the outbreak of the virus forced the suspension of Super Rugby.
However, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) said players called up to the national squad can re-start training in small groups at their Buenos Aires training ground, beginning Thursday.
With Argentina having recorded more than 250,000 cases of coronavirus, players will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the squad assembles and with undergo daily temperature checks while in camp.
The squad features a mix of uncapped players and seasoned veterans based in Argentina.
Nineteen Europeans-based players – Facundo Gigena (Leicester Tigers), Facundo Bosch (La Rochelle), Ignacio Calles (Pau), Agustín Creevy (London Irish), Francisco Gomez Kodela (Lyon), Ramiro Herrera (La Rochelle), Enrique Pieretto (Glasgow Warriors), Matías Alemanno (Gloucester), Tomás Lavanini (Leicester Tigers), Guido Petti (Bordeaux), Facundo Isa (Toulon), Marcos Kremer (Stade Français), Pablo Matera (Stade Français), Patricio Fernández (Lyon), Nicolás Sánchez (Stade Français), Benjamín Urdapilleta (Castres), Lucas Mensa (Valence Romans), Santiago Cordero (Bordeaux) and Ramiro Moyano (Toulon) – may be added top the squad at a later stage.
Of those included in the squad, the likes of Julian Montoya, Tomas Cubelli and Emiliano Boffelli stand out as some of the more experienced members of the team.
Others, such as Jeronimo de la Fuente, Matias Moroni, and Matias Orlando, have been included despite departing for overseas clubs after the Rugby Championship as a result of the financial constraints that forced the Jaguares to release their players.
Their presence in the side will be complemented by the likes of Federico Wegrzyn, Rodrigo Fernández Criado and Santiago Montagner, all of whom are uncapped and play for Argentina’s Super Liga Americana de Rugby club, Los Ceibos.
This year’s revised version of the Rugby Championship is expected to take place in New Zealand between November and December as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc worldwide.
There will be concerns about the feasibility of hosting the tournament in New Zealand, however, after it was confirmed this week that there were new cases of community transmission in the country for the first time in over 100 days.
Should New Zealand retain its coronavirus-free status, it will continue to stand as the likely host of the Rugby Championship between November 7 and December 12.
Pumas squad
1. Mayco Vivas
2. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
3. Federico Wegrzyn
4. Julián Montoya
5. Santiago Socino
6. Ignacio Ruiz
7. Jose Luis Gonzalez
8. Joel Sclavi
9. Santiago Medrano
10. Lucio Sordoni
11. Juan Pablo Zeiss
12. Lucas Paulos
13. Ignacio Calas
14. Rodrigo Fernandez Criado
15. Marcelo Toledo Valentini
16. Lucas Bur
17. Rodrigo Bruni
18. Tomas Lezana
19. Javier Ortega Desio
20. Francisco Gorrisen
21. Santiago Grondona
22. Santiago Montagner
23. Juan Bautista Pedemonte
24. Juan Martin Gonzalez
25. Joaquin Oviedo
26. Tomas Cubelli
27. Felipe Ezcurra
28. Gonzalo Bertranou
29. Gonzalo Garcia
30. Domingo Miotti
31. Joaquin Diaz Bonilla
32. Tomas Albornoz
33. Jeronimo de la Fuente
34. Matías Moroni
35. Juan Cruz Mallia
36. Matias Orlando,
37. Juan Pablo Castro
38. Santiago Chocobares
39. Lucio Cinti
40. Emiliano Boffelli
41. Santiago Carreras
42. Bautista Delguy
43. Sebastian Cancelliere
44. Mateo Carreras
45. Joaquín Tuculet
46. Juan Bautista Daireaux
