Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Two front row forwards have been added to Mario Ledesma’s training regime as Los Jaguares’ injury crisis deepens. One week out from the team’s departure for South Africa Ledesma is in the uncomfortable position of not having a fit front row.
Hooker Agustín Creevy missed Saturday’s warm-up match against the Argentina XV, a fixture in which both loosehead props left the field injured. Felipe Arregui and Santiago García Botta have since been monitored with an eye to the forthcoming Super Rugby season.
The news is mixed as while both Creevy and Arregui trained freely yesterday in Buenos Aires there remains no sign of García Botta being cleared. This leaves Ledesma with a shortfall at loosehead. It is compounded by Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro’s continued absence. The leading tighthead has played regularly at loosehead in the past but is a serious doubt to go to South Africa.
With Tetaz Chaparro and García Botta both in serious danger of missing the tour Ledesma has added loosehead prop Nicolás Solveyra and hooker Axel Zapata to the training roster. Both players are uncapped by Argentina and are newcomers to Los Jaguares.
Solveyra is from Buenos Aires club, CUBA. The 22-year-old has been given the opportunity ahead of Francisco Ferronato. Zapata is from the SITAS club. The 24-year-old impressed in the 2017 Americas Rugby Championship.
Officially out of the tour are prop Franco Brarda, scrumhalf Tomás Cubelli, and centres Jerónimo de la Fuente and Matías Moroni. Others are in a serious race against time to now make the trip to face the Bulls in a warm-up followed by the season opener against the Stormers.
