Veteran Argentina back rowers Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Juan Manuel Leguizamon were named in a 28-man squad for next week’s Rugby Championship clash with New Zealand.
2 Other survivors from the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, wing Horacio Agulla and prop Marcos Ayerza, were also selected on Thursday for their 17 July tournament opener in Christchurch.
The squad will fly from Sydney on Saturday, where a pre-tournament squad of 36 were training with this year’s World Cup in England also in mind, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) said.
The squad is dominated by players, including captain Agustin Creevy, contracted to the UAR for the Argentine franchise that will compete in Super Rugby next year.
7, Including former captain Fernandez Lobbe of Toulon, are part of the dwindling contingent of European-based players included.
8 Players left out of the tour party, including veteran back Juan Martin Hernandez, will return home to continue training or recover from injury ahead of the latter stages of The Rugby Championship or World Cup, which begins on 18 September.
“After the match against New Zealand, we’ll all gather in Buenos Aires for 3 days and there we’ll decide on the squad to play Australia,” coach Daniel Hourcade was quoted as saying by the UAR.
“We’ll be sticking to rotating the players so they get to the World Cup with sufficient minutes (played) but being careful how we line up the team because we’re facing 3 powers (in The Rugby Championship).”
After the opener in Christchurch the All Blacks and Pumas will also meet in their World Cup Pool C opener at Wembley Stadium on 20 September.
Argentina host Australia on 25 July in Mendoza, where they broke their tournament duck against the Wallabies by 21 / 17 last year, before facing South Africa in Durban on 8 August.
Argentina host the Springboks in a World Cup warm-up match the following week to mark the 50th anniversary of the country’s 1st touring side to Africa where they were baptised the Pumas.
Argentina Squad:
Backs:
Joaquin Tuculet, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, Santiago Cordero, Juan Imhoff, Horacio Agulla, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Matias Moroni, Marcelo Bosch, Juan Pablo Socino, Nicolas Sanchez, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, Martin Landajo, Tomas Cubelli
Forwards:
Juan Fernandez Lobbe, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Facundo Isa, Javier Ortega Desio, Benjamin Macome, Matias Alemanno, Manuel Carizza, Guido Petti Pagadizabal, Marcos Ayerza, Ramiro Herrera, Lucas Noguera, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Matias Diaz, Agustin Creevy (Captain), Julian Montoya.
Sport24