Argentina Add Two Uncapped Players to July Roster

Two changes have been made to Los Pumas’ roster for the upcoming July Internationals. The needs of the team see two uncapped players added to the roster, covering World Cup players. Pampas inside center Justo Piccardo and flanker Nicolás D’Amorim are now involved and in consideration for international duty against France and Uruguay.

Piccardo and D’Amorim both impressed for Los Pampas in Super Rugby Americas (SRA) 2024. Both were named on the ARN All-Star team for SRA 2024 with Piccardo named Rookie of the Year. They now have the opportunity of representing their country at the highest level for the first time.

The changes see Piccardo in for Santiago Chocobares and D’Amorim replacing Santiago Grondona. In the case of Chocobares it is due to his involvement in the Top 14 Final with Toulouse. The center from Rufino may return for game two against France or for the away match against Uruguay. Grondona will not be fit for the matches.

JULY INTERNATIONALS – ARGENTINA FIXTURES

July 06 VS (Mendoza, AR)

July 13 VS(Buenos Aires, AR)

July 20 VS (Maldonado, UY)

ARGENTINA ROSTER – FORWARDS

LOOSE HEAD PROP
Ignacio Calles (Pau, 2 caps)
Thomas Gallo (Benetton, 23 caps)
Mayco Vivas (Gloucester, 20 caps)

HOOKER
Bautista Bernasconi (Benetton, uncapped)
Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers, 95 caps)
Ignacio Ruiz (Perpignan, 6 caps)

TIGHT HEAD PROP
Eduardo Bello (Newcastle Falcons, 21 caps)
Francisco Coria Marchetti (Brive, uncapped)
Lucio Sordoni (Glasgow Warriors, 4 caps)

SECOND-ROW
Matías Alemanno (Gloucester 93 caps)
Franco Molina (Dogos, uncapped)
Lucas Paulos (Bayonne, 12 caps)
Pedro Rubiolo (Newcastle Falcons, 10 caps)

FLANKER
Nicolás D’Amorim (Pampas, uncapped)
Marcos Kremer (Clermont, 64 caps)
Pablo Matera (Honda Heat, 98 caps)
Joaquín Oviedo (Perpignan 2 caps)

N8
Joaquín Moro (Pampas, uncapped)
Bautista Pedemonte (Vannes, uncapped)

ARGENTINA ROSTER – BACKS

SCRUM-HALF
Lautaro Bazán Vélez (Rovigo, 13 caps)
Gonzalo Bertranou (Cardiff, 57 caps)
Gonzalo García (Zebre, 3 caps)

FLY HALF
Tomás Albornoz (Benetton, 5 caps)
Santiago Carreras (Gloucester, 42 caps)

INSIDE CENTER
Santiago Chocobares (Toulouse, 13 caps)
Jerónimo de la Fuente (Perpignan, 78 caps)
Justo Piccardo (Pampas, uncapped)

OUTSIDE CENTER
Matías Moroni (Newcastle Falcons, 80 caps)
Matías Orlando (Miami Sharks, 58 caps)

WING
Mateo Carreras (Bayonne 17 caps)
Santiago Cordero (Connacht, 50 caps)
Bautista Delguy (Clermont, 25 caps)
Ignacio Mendy (Benetton, 1 cap)

FULLBACK
Martín Bogado (Highlanders, 3 caps)
Mateo Soler (Dogos, uncapped)

PATHWAY TO PUMAS – NICOLÁS D’AMORIM

Nicolás D’Amorim played 14 matches for Los Pampas in Super Rugby Americas 2024. He was the first-choice flanker in the 7 shirt, regularly joining captain Manuel Berenstein and N8 Joaquín Moro in the back-row.

D’Amorim’s selection comes on the back of an excellent season. He was a stand-out ball-carrier, defender and finisher; he scored four tries in the 63-25 hammering of 2022 and 2023 champions Peñarol in Montevideo.

His call-up comes with Santiago Grondona not ready to return. Grondona was seriously injured playing for Argentina against Spain in August and was forced out of the World Cup before sitting out the 2023-2024 English Premiership with Bristol.

Grondona missing means Joaquín Moro goes from being an invitational member to a full-time member of Felipe Contepomi’s roster. D’Amorim enters in an invitational role for now. It comes with Juan Martín González and Rodrigo Bruni rested and notably sees D’Amorim selected ahead of Vannes’ captain Francisco Gorrissen.

The 23-year-old D’Amorim is a product of Hindú Club in the Don Torcuato district of Tigre Partido in Buenos Aires. He made his professional debut for Los Pampas in 2023. He left his mark as noted by his selection for the Argentina XV. He started at flanker in the 28-26 win over Chile before the World Cup.

PATHWAY TO PUMAS – JUSTO PICCARDO

Justo Piccardo was a rookie in Super Rugby Americas 2024. He held down the starting inside center spot for Los Pampas. His ball-carrying was a stand-out feature of his game; he hit the line with force as he regularly gave his side good go-forward ball. He was also more than up to the task on defense and with his passing.

Piccardo scored seven tries for Los Pampas in SRA 2024. The 22-year-old played 14 matches for the Buenos Aires franchise. His call-up comes as a result of the Top 14 Semi Finals. Santiago Chocobares was named on the Pumas’ roster but will be given time off as Toulouse go up against Bordeaux in the Final.

Felipe Contepomi’s selection of Piccardo sees a specialist center rather than a fly half included. This is different to Contepomi’s own career as he moved between fly half and inside center of Argentina. Others did so too such as Santiago Fernández while contemporary Gerónimo Prisciantelli has not been selected.

Piccardo has also been selected ahead of options who play their rugby in France. Among them are Pumas Bautista Ezcurra and Lucas Mensa. The former started in a win over South Africa in 2018 and the latter went to the World Cup in 2019.

Justo Piccardo is a product of San Isidro Club (SIC) in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires. He was identified at a young age and went though the High Performance academy system. He played for Argentina u20’s in wins against Fiji, Georgia, Uruguay and Australia. He also played for the Argentina XV against Uruguay and Chile.