Loose forward Juan Manuel Leguizamon will follow a select group of Argentines to have played in four Rugby World Cup finals after he was named in the country’s 31-man RWC squad for next month’s tournament in Japan.
The 36-year-old, who made his international debut in 2005, will join Felipe Contepomi, Agustin Pichot and Argentina coach Mario Ledesma as the only players from the South American nation to have achieved the feat.
Experienced fly-half Nicolas Sanchez, the country’s leading points-scorer, is one of three overseas-based players included in the selection.
The Stade Francais fly-half is joined by fellow pivot Benjamin Urdapilleta from Castres and Saracens prop Juan Figallo. However, there was no room for Facundo Isa, despite many thinking the France-based loose forward was a shoo-in for the squad. Rodrigo Bruno was selected in Isa’s place.
The majority of the squad, which has 17 forwards and 14 backs, is made up from Jaguares, who were beaten finalists in Super Rugby this season.
Pucara centre Lucas Mensa, who debuted in Saturday’s 24-18 loss to South Africa in Pretoria, also made the cut.
Joaquin Tuculet recently returned to the side for the first time in 18 months after injury and is one of three fullbacks along with Emiliano Boffelli and Santiago Carreras, who also earned his first cap at the weekend.
Ledesma has included only two specialist scrum-halves in Tomas Cubelli and Felipe Ezcurra.
The side will be captained by flanker Pablo Matera, who took over this season from hooker Agustin Creevy.
The squad will travel to Sydney on August 30, where they will continue their preparations and play a friendly with the Randwick Club.
They will arrive at their Fukushima base in Japan on Sept 10.
Saturday’s defeat for Argentina was their ninth in succession. They have won only eight of 41 Tests since the 2015 World Cup, when they were semi-finalists in England.
Argentina have been drawn in Pool C in Japan with England, France, United States and Tonga, and will open their campaign against the French at the Tokyo Stadium on Sept. 21.
Forwards: Nahuel Tetaz Chapparo, Mayco Vivas, Agustin Creevy, Julian Montoya, Santiago Socino, Juan Figallo, Santiago Medrano, Enrique Pieretto, Guido Petti, Tomas Lavanini, Matias Alemanno, Pablo Matera, Tomas Lezana, Javier Ortega Desio, Marcos Kremer, Rodrigo Bruni, Juan Manuel Leguizamon.
Backs: Tomas Cubelli, Felipe Ezcurra, Nicolas Sanchez, Benjamin Urdapilleta, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Matias Orlando, Matias Moroni, Lucan Mensa, Juan Cruz Mallia, Ramiro Moyano, Bautista Delguy, Emiliano Boffelli, Joaquin Tuculet, Santiago Carreras.
CAB_CBA
Roar Rookie
You are right! There has always been players from other areas than BA, but never in this numbers. 3 or 4 at the most. Tucuman Cordoba and Rosario are in fact stongholds, but were far behind on every aspect. Despite being lesser teams those three were able to down URBA often at provincial torunaments. Today gap is closing in some items, but URBA clubs are still the best in the country.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
I do not think the Isa will make the difference between winning and losing . This is rugby and there is no Maradona to win games.
Anibal Pyro
Roar Rookie
Dear Nobes, sorry, but your previous posts looked like "read between the lines" that there were some kind of Star problems with FI. So my mistake. But we know, in any sport, any team, any group, there is always something beyond the sport. If you are going to race, never keep your best stallion at the horse stable. Anyway, the ref and the coach are always right. We should stick to that and hope LP beat France. And Tonga and the US are not a walk in the park, also.
HenryHoneyBalls
Guest
I understood that there were already a number of rugby strongholds outside of BA. I think that of the places you mentioned Tucaman, Cordoba and Rosario (Santa Fe) have always been rugby strongholds. Argentina play some tests around the country outside of their Velez Sarsfield home. I would have thought that in previous world cups there would have been plenty of players from outside of BA in the squad, no? I have travelled around relatively non populous parts of Patagonia and been surprised to have seen rugby putches there.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Not really, I think you are mistaking a bit. OD, Lezana and Isa were competing for the position. ML went for the first two. Isa was never the same after his injury. Fernández Lobbe couched Isa in Toulon and now is in the staff of LP. I am pretty sure he is the one that knows Isa fitness and production better than you, me , ML, and who ever writes in this and other sites. The staff felt that the other two are best to the game they want to play. It does not even matter who the best player of the three is, it only counts how the players will fit in the team and the game they want to play. If you think that Ml will jeopardise or take a risk of not taking a player for any other reason than his game plan is because you do not know ML. The man was the one that called convinced G. Quesada to come from France and coach Jaguares. He made the calls on the Miranda brothers into the staff of LP and the Jags, and if you know a bit of things from the past, these three are not Pichots favourites friends. So Ml stud up and told Pichot that these three mus come even if the VP of WR did not like them and do not get along with him. It is possible that Ml has made the wrong call? Yes. But there is nothing beyond rugby and what he consider the best for LP. Also, his job is on the line if LP have a bad performance in Japan. Lets not look for ghosts when they are not out there. Unless you have facts to probe there are.
CAB_CBA
Roar Rookie
one thing makes ML´s list unique: 17 out of 31 players are from the likes of Córdoba, Tucuman, Santiago, Rosario, Paraná, Concordia... This shows the game post 2007 RWC has grown all over the place, no only in BA. Certeainly good news!
CAB_CBA
Roar Rookie
Agree. At this point i´m a bit disappointed about LP. Perhaps this long unexpected season was a hardwork they had not been ready for. I really hope they can survive pool of death. Once in quarter finals anything could happen...
Harry Jones
Expert
Nope
Anibal Pyro
Roar Rookie
yes, Carlos, but he is heavier than other props, and the scrum was not so bad a few years ago. Just scrum´thinking
Anibal Pyro
Roar Rookie
Dear Nobes, perhaps you are close to the team/staff and know things the rest of us do not. When ISA went out Jags, he was ahead of Matera as a carrier. I do not know about his condition/fitness, his attitude, but it is very rare/strange that JML, Bruni (and for me Lezana) are ahead of Facundo. So the situation looks personal btw ML and FI . Ok.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Do they though? many of the imports take the places of the test players I'm told. The season might be longer but I'm guessing not EVERY test player plays the full club season. Its not just the AI's, its the fact that after super and test rugby our players are leaving for the north so we cant call on the full pool of players we could, so we either take newer players earlier, or burn the same ones left behind out. As far as I know the NH teams don't have a clean out of pro's every year before they come here. Luatua for example, perfect for end of season tour, but post Blues he was off.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Is Dyantyi going to be back for the World Cup?
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
If that is true, why did they bring him? Seems like a waste of time and also a way to burn bridges.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
I have the feeling that we are going to a Jake White kind of games in RWC we will get tire of so many box kicks.
Harry Jones
Expert
Well, I think one of the two final cuts Rassie is deciding is Gelant vs Elstadt/Kwagga. If Gelant is gone, Kolbe is the backup 15, and then he WOULD start there vs Namibia and such.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Yeah, if Rassie gets his back three selection right and they click, other teams better watch out. Nkosi, Kolbe and the boys can all score tries from nothing. Do you think there is any chance that Rassie will try Kolbe at fullback? WLR has not looked that flash for some time now and Kolbe seems to be unable to put a foot wrong.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Madiba and Rassie would have liked each other, that is for sure.
Harry Jones
Expert
Good idea! On a neutral field, with fitness on both sides optimal, I just see small margins favouring Boks: speed out wide, kicking skills, and the nastiest pack in the comp.
Harry Jones
Expert
It’s all politics. And Rassie plays that game so well.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
It is really exciting with a World Cup on truly neutral ground. And finally, it seems all top teams have a good idea of how to prepare for a WC also. You are a smart and educated man, Harry. You know how bookies make the odds and what makes them change. Wales-Boks would be a very tasty matchup and as things stand now, it would be incredibly hard to call the winner. At least for me. I would love if you could pen an article on how Rassie has made the quotas to a non-issue. Saw comments from the Saffa top-brass that they fully trust Rassie and they will not tie his hands with any "sharp" quota-demands. Remarkable. Can't help wondering if some of the players of color have worked behind the scenes also to help Rassie achieve this? Overall, the Boks looks like a very very tight unit, and right now they are a shining example of what the whole nation South Africa could be. Nothing is impossible.