Felipe Contepomi Selects First Argentina Roster as Head Coach

The new era begins for Argentina in March. The new Head Coach of Los Pumas, Felipe Contepomi will assemble a roster in London, England. The three day camp will feature 31 players. Most, but not all, of the players featured at Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.

The camp will take place four months before Contepomi’s debut test match as Head Coach. The World Rugby Hall of Famer replaces Michael Cheika who was in charge of Los Pumas from 2022-2023.

Cheika organized a similar camp to that which will take place in March. The 2023 camp was also in March though it took place in Paris, France. The March 2024 camp will feature 31 players, 30 of whom play their rugby in Europe. The one who does not is the uncapped Franco Molina.

Molina plays his rugby for Los Dogos in Super Rugby Americas. The second-rower has toured with Los Pumas in the past and has made plenty of appearances for the Argentina XV but is yet to play in a test match. Molina’s inclusion notably comes with Lucas Paulos not selected. He joins Matías Alemanno, Tomás Lavanini Guido Petti, and Pedro Rubiolo as the second-rowers.

Contepomi has also selected six players who are capped but missed the World Cup. Veteran loose head prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro missed through injury as did flanker Santiago Grondona. They are back while tight head prop Lucio Sordoni is included as is fly half Tomás Albornoz and wingers Santiago Cordero and Bautista Delguy. Like Tetaz Chaparro and Grondona, Cordero continues his recovery from injury.

Players based in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the USA were not considered. Flanker Pablo Matera and fullback Martín Bogado are the notable absentees in this regard. Tight head prop Santiago Medrano, scrum-half Tomás Cubelli, and fly half Nicolás Sánchez are also absent, though their non-selection can also be connected to additional factors.

Veteran hooker winger Juan Imhoff, Agustín Creevy and tight head prop Francisco Gómez Kodela are missing as is former Pumas hooker Facundo Bosch. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Isgró was not considered due to his involvement with Los Pumas 7’s.

Additional notable names not included are scrum-half Gonzalo García, fly half Domingo Miotti and winger Ignacio Mendy. All three are having excellent seasons in Europe.

ARGENTINA – 31 MAN ROSTER

LOOSE HEAD PROP
Thomas Gallo (Benetton, IT)
Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Benetton, IT)
Mayco Vivas (Gloucester, UK)

HOOKER
Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers, UK)
Ignacio Ruiz (Perpignan, FR)

TIGHT HEAD PROP
Eduardo Bello (Newcastle Falcons, UK)
Joel Sclavi (La Rochelle, FR)
Lucio Sordoni (Glasgow Warriors, UK)

SECOND-ROW
Matías Alemanno (Gloucester, UK)
Tomás Lavanini (Clermont, FR)
Franco Molina (Dogos)
Guido Petti (Bordeaux, FR)
Pedro Rubiolo (Newcastle Falcons, UK)

FLANKER
Juan Martín González (Saracens, UK)
Santiago Grondona (Bristol Bears, UK)
Marcos Kremer (Clermont, FR)

N8
Rodrigo Bruni (Bayonne, FR)
Joaquín Oviedo (Perpignan, FR)

SCRUM-HALF
Lautaro Bazán Vélez (Rovigo, IT)
Gonzalo Bertranou (Dragons, UK)

FLY HALF
Tomás Albornoz (Benetton, IT)
Santiago Carreras (Gloucester, UK)

INSIDE CENTER
Santiago Chocobares (Toulouse, FR)
Jerónimo de la Fuente (Perpignan, FR)

OUTSIDE CENTER
Lucio Cinti (Saracens, UK)
Matías Moroni (Newcastle Falcons, UK)

WING
Emiliano Boffelli (Edinburgh, UK)
Mateo Carreras (Bayonne, FR)
Santiago Cordero (Connacht, IE)
Bautista Delguy (Clermont, FR)

FULLBACK
Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse, FR)

JULY INTERNATIONALS 2024 – ARGENTINA

July 06 VS (TBA, AR)