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Will the next great Argentina playmaker please stand up?
There’s an impending problem arising for Argentina in the No 10 jersey.
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While the fortunes of the national side have ebbed and flowed in the professional era, with weaknesses transforming into strengths and strengths collapsing into weaknesses time and time again over the last 25 years, there’s been one constant for Los Pumas: a world-class operator at first receiver.
It was Gonzalo Quesada who led Argentina through the early stages of professionalism, burning brightly for eight years and taking the reins at the 1999 and 2003 World Cups. Felipe Contepomi made his debut for Los Pumas in 1998 and was a mainstay in the squad for over a decade, regularly sharing duties with Quesada from the turn of the century.
While Contepomi was rightly hailed at the time as one of the best flyhalves ever produced by South America’s number one rugby nation, that mantle was quickly taken over by Juan Martin Hernandez, a man who may have rivalled Dan Carter and Jonny Wilkinson for the title of ‘best in the world’, were it not for persistent injuries that restricted El Mago to a still-impressive 74 appearances over 16 years in the national set-up.
Since 2012, however, it’s been Nicolas Sanchez who’s dominated the No 10 jersey for Los Pumas and taken over as the top points scorer in Argentina’s history, and 15th on the overall list.
Sanchez, like his predecessors, is equally as impressive will ball-in-hand as he is when he calls on his varied kicking game to help guide Los Pumas around the park.
At 33 years of age, however, Sanchez’s time as a first-choice test flyhalf is quickly coming to a close and even the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France may be a bridge to far for the 90-test international.
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Despite the fact that Argentina have always had someone ready to step in and take over the reins at No 10 in the past, however, there’s no obvious current heir-apparent to Sanchez.
Until last year, it looked like Domingo Miotti was being teed up as the man to replace Sanchez but the 25-year-old’s fortunes have changed massively since he started the 2020 Super Rugby season with such a bang.
After Sanchez left the Jaguares following their 2018 campaign, Miotti was called into the squad to back-up Joaquin Diaz Bonilla. Miotti bided his time behind the more senior playmaker, clocking up useful minutes and a handful of starts and continued to develop his game.
Argentina were arguably global rugby's biggest losers in 2021 after being handed raw deal after raw deal. https://t.co/bRAYna48cu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 26, 2021
In 2020, an injury suffered by Bonilla in the opening match saw Miotti take over at No 10 for the majority of the opening rounds, with the young pivot showcasing his full range of skills in three victories and three losses – then Covid struck and the competition was called off.
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Later that year, Miotti earned his international debut as Sanchez’s understudy throughout the Tri-Nations but was rarely offered opportunities to the limited number of games played by the Pumas throughout the season.
The global pandemic effectively ended the Jaguares’ tenure in Super Rugby, which saw Miotti transfer to the Western Force for their Super Rugby AU and Trans-Tasman campaigns in 2021. The Argentinian pivot struggled to find his top form for the Australian outfit, however, and while he was still included in the Pumas’ test squad for the early stages of the year, he was again afforded next to no game time.
Altogether, Miotti managed just over 120 minutes of action for Argentina – despite the fact that matches against Romania and a Wales side lacking their British and Irish Lions presented perfect opportunities to help ease the young playmaker into test rugby.
Come the end of the Rugby Championship, Pumas coach Mario Ledesma had evidently decided that Miotti was not the future for Argentina rugby, and while resting Sanchez, chose to start outside back Santiago Carreras at flyhalf against the All Blacks.
Despite all the promise that Miotti had shown in his first few years of professional rugby, Ledesma had moved on from the 25-year-old and omitted him completely from Argentina’s end of year tour to Europe, where Carreras was given the reins for all three of the side’s tests.
Despite Carreras’ new turn in the No 10 jersey, however, he’s reverted to playing in the outside backs for Gloucester in the Premiership. This season, he’s notched up just five appearances – three on the wing, one at fullback and one off the bench.
In fact, Miotti and Sanchez have also struggled for minutes this season.
The former has managed just one solitary appearance for his new side, Glasgow, while the latter has played three times for Stade Francais.
While there’s still ample time ahead of the mid-year tests, when Argentina will host Scotland in a three-match series, it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise if all three of Carreras, Sanchez and Miotti spend the bulk of the season either playing in a position outside of flyhalf, or are used primarily off the bench.
They last played in Argentina in 2019!?#Pumas ???https://t.co/xCqLCpe9Sz
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 22, 2021
In Sanchez’s case, that may actually benefit the elder statesman who will be looking to preserve his body as much as possible in order to make the coming World Cup.
The importance of that shouldn’t be understated, especially if Miotti and Carreras aren’t going to have many opportunities to develop into top-level flyhalves.
With the Jaguares no longer a part of Super Rugby, the likes of Ledesma and the national side aren’t able to have any influence on how Argentina’s players are being utilised by their clubs around the world and the impacts of that will be felt hugely in the future.
In years gone by, ageing Pumas playmakers have always been usurped by the young talent coming through. Unfortunately for Argentina, there’s little time between now and the World Cup, where Argentina will have to score a win over Japan in order to progress to the quarter-finals, and the window for the ‘next big thing’ to take over is fast closing.
Comments on RugbyPass
He never stops whinging. No wonder he is always chasing the next big dream.
1 Go to commentsI always enjoy a good scrum based article. Thanks, Nick. The Hurricanes are looking more and more the team to beat down here in Australasia. They are a very well balanced team. And though there are far fewer scrums in the game these days, destructive power in that area is a serious weapon, especially an attacking scrum within in the red zone. Aumua looked very good as a young first year player, but then seemed to fade. He sure is back now right in the picture for the AB’s. And I would judge that Taukei’aho is in a bit of a slump currently. Watching him at Suncorp a few weeks ago, I thought he was not as dominant in the game as I would have expected. I am going to raise an issue in that scrum at around the 13 min mark. I see a high level of danger there for the TH lifted off the ground. He is trapped between the opposition LH and his own powerful SR. His neck is being put under potentially dangerous pressure. The LH has, in law , no right to use his superior scrummaging skill….getting his head right in on the breastbone of the TH…..to force him up and off the ground. Had the TH popped out of the scrum, head up and free, there is no danger, that is a clear penalty to the dominant scrum. The law is quite clear on this issue: Law 37 Dangerous play and restricted practices in a scrum. C:Intentionally lifting an opponent off their feet or forcing them upwards out of the scrum. Sanction: Penalty. Few ,if any, referees seem to be aware of this law, and/or the dangers of the situation. Matthew Carly, refereeing Clermont v Munster in 2021, penalised the Munster scrum, when LH Wycherly was lifted very high, and in my view very dangerously, by TH Slimani. Lifting was coached in the late ‘60’s/70’s. Both Lions props, Ray McLouglin, and “Mighty Mouse” McLauchlan, were expert and highly successful at this technique. I have seen a photo, which I can’t find online atm, of MM with a NZ TH(not an AB) on his head, MM standing upright as the scrum disintegrates.
3 Go to commentsHey. Stay home and play for Mooloo.
1 Go to commentsTighthead was always going to be our weakness this year with Ryan going home to Ireland and the Cashed Up Blues taking a third All Black prop from us - nobody else in SR does that. Numia is the exciting one. He used to be a lightweight but he's really improved. Do you have stats on the All Black hookers’ lineouts for the game? I seem to remember a few misses.
3 Go to commentsFergus Burke isn't tier 1 player quality…but guess what, he'll be playing amongst them for Saracens…. all going well and Steve Borthwick is still the head coach, England...Scott Robertson’s hint of amending NZRU’s offshore AB eligibility clause, would mean that players like Josh Moorby who show potential might get a call…
4 Go to commentsThe movement of quality players back to SA is remarkable.
2 Go to commentsInteresting article, Nic. Am enjoying seeing the Rebels doing well, partly just to spite those who are working to wipe them off the face of the Australian rugby planet. But it is also good to see a team with somany good players beginning fire. LSL has benefitted so much from his move up to Northampton for the one year. I wonder why he did not stay on for another year. Does he now looks north and see his teammates of last year now doing so well, and have some regrets.
46 Go to comments“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
2 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
3 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
46 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
46 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
4 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
8 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
46 Go to comments