Los Pumas squad for Lions has a Super Rugby flavour

Pumas’ coach Felipe Contepomi named ten uncapped players in his first squad of the season to assemble in Dublin over the weekend ahead of their game against the British & Irish Lions, on Friday 20th.  

With a number of absentees due to club commitments in France, he has decided to select players involved in the Premiership Final on Saturday and the Super Rugby Americas on Friday night. 

The first group of players will travel with the coaching staff from Buenos Aires on Friday, with the squad likely to have its 32 selected players by Sunday afternoon, ready to start preparing on Monday.

Contepomi, who captained Argentina in 2005 when they drew 25-25 in Cardiff, has managed to put together a solid squad, with some very experienced players such as captain Julián Montoya, who hopes that his final game for the Leicester Tigers sees him lifting the Premiership trophy, and Pablo Matera, who has just completed his second season playing in Japan, in the forwards. Matías Moroni, who was a medical joker in France’s ProD2. 

Santiago Carreras, who had a wonderful farewell season for Gloucester, will certainly play a big role, either as fullback or vying for the number 10 jersey with Tomás Albornoz, who changed the face of the team’s attack in the second half of the last season. 

Juan Martín González and Lucio Cinti will play against their club teammate Maro Itoje, expected to lead the British & Irish Lions. 

There are a number of unavailable high calibre players, all with French clubs still involved in the finals. Backs Santiago Chocobares and Juan Cruz Mallía, and lock Efrain Elias (Toulouse), winger Mateo Carreras, Rodrigo Bruni and Lucas Paulos (Bayonne), Bautista Delguy (Clermont), lock Guido Petti (Bordeaux-Begles) and loosie Facundo Isa (Toulon) have not been invited to a game that falls outside of the Regulation 9 window as their clubs are still competing. 

Not selected is livewire Thomas Gallo, a regular Puma tighthead over the past three seasons. It is said that he has been rested ahead of the July window against England (twice) and Uruguay. 

The balance of the squad comes from Super Rugby Americas, the regional competition in South America, with eleven players all ready to take their opportunities, including Simón Benítez Cruz and Agustín Moyano who will fight to be reserve to Gonzalo García, the incumbent halfback after shining in the European tour. Nine of the SRA players are under 24 years old. 

The Pumas’ coaching staff have been speaking in recent years that players win their places in the 23-man squad during the buildup week, as they see how they compete for a position. 

Montoya might be spared of this competition. The test centurion will arrive at the end of a season in which he shone for the Tigers, leading them to the final. That he is willing to cross the Irish Sea to join his national team after what could be a dream farewell, speaks volumes of his commitment. Next season he will play in Pau, in France. 

Also flying in after a final will be props Boris Wenger and Pedro Delgado, hooker Leonel Oviedo, scrumhalf Moyano and back Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, who on Friday tackle Peñarol Rugby at home, and will have a much longer trip starting in Montevideo. 

Two sets of brothers could play for the first time for Argentina. Coaches Contepomi and Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, with twin Manuel and older brother Ignacio respectively, were the last to play with a brother in a Puma international. 

Oviedo will join older brother Joaquín for the first time in Los Pumas, whilst the Grondona’s, flankers Benjamín and Santiago if they take the field together will also become another international duo. 

“For us, it’s a great challenge to pick up where we left off in 2024 and continue our quest for continuous improvement,” said Contepomi in a press release. “Every game is an opportunity to continue growing as a team, and we take it with great responsibility.” 

Pumas squad: 

Forwards: Luciano Asevedo (Tarucas)*, Bautista Bernasconi (Benetton Rugby)*, Francisco Coria Marchetti (Brive), Pedro Delgado (Dogos XV), Juan Martín González (Saracens), Benjamín Grondona (Bristol Bears)*, Santiago Grondona (Bristol Bears), Pablo Matera (Honda Heat), Franco Molina (Exeter Chiefs), Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers, captain), Joaquín Moro (Pampas), Joaquín Oviedo (Perpignan), Leonel Oviedo (Dogos XV)*, Pedro Rubiolo (Bristol Bears), Joel Sclavi (La Rochelle), Mayco Vivas (Gloucester), Boris Wenger (Dogos XV)* 

Backs: Tomás Albornoz (Benetton Rugby), Simón Benítez Cruz (Tarucas)*, Santiago Carreras (Gloucester), Lucio Cinti (Saracens), Santiago Cordero (Connaught), Benjamín Elizalde (Bristol Bears)*, Gonzalo García (Zebre), Rodrigo Isgró (Harlequins), Ignacio Mendy (Benetton Rugby), Matías Moroni (Brive), Santiago Pernas (Pampas)*, Justo Piccardo (Pampas), Nicolás Roger (Tarucas)*, Faustino Sánchez Valarolo (Dogos XV)* 

* uncapped