2018 ARC Preview – Argentina XV

The Argentina XV open their Americas Rugby Championship campaign on Saturday. They do so in an away match against the USA in Los Angeles. That match takes place a week after the official opener in which Canada fell to Uruguay in Vancouver.

 

2017 FORM

The Argentina XV were highly inconsistent in 2017. The year opened with a comfortable away win over Canada. Back in South America the team hammered Uruguay in Bahía Blanca and, despite being shaky, defeated Chile across the Andes. A demolition job on Brazil followed before the title fell out of the team’s hands as the USA completed a last-gasp draw in Patagonia.

An underwhelming campaign at the World Rugby Nations Cup in June saw the Argentina XV finishing third. They opened with an inexplicable performance, falling 39-38 to Russia. Improvements were made against Spain, but any hopes of the Russia game being the only low-point were quashed with a shocking performance against Emerging Italy despite a one-score win.

In September the team was confirmed as Sudamérica Rugby Champions for 2017, winning a close final against Uruguay. Additional international competition saw the Argentina XV winning the Americas Pacific Challenge in October. It saw the team back to their best, proving to be a level above the ‘A’ sides from Canada, Samoa and Uruguay.

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Felipe Contepomi’s roster has seen players leave for Los Jaguares both on permanent contracts and as medical jokers. This has not had an overall impact on the quality of the side. Distinguished players can be identified. This is very true of the back-row which has three extremely promising uncapped players in the form of Francisco Gorrissen, Rodrigo Bruni, and Santiago Montagner. The depth is such that fellow flanker Lautaro Bavaro is the team captain.

Additional forwards closing in on higher honors include hooker Gaspar Baldunciel and prop Francisco Ferronato, the latter having been identified as a serious contender for Los Pumas this year. Javier Díaz is another that Argentina are hoping to develop in the competition. Back for a third year is second-rower Ignacio Larrague who has Super Rugby experience and is a victim of Argentina having just the one franchise.

The Argentina XV has quality backs including returnees Juan Cappiello, Rodrigo Etchart, and Germán Schulz. All are accomplished players who are very close to receiving opportunities with Los Jaguares. Youth to watch out for includes fly half Tomás Granella and 2017 Pumitas Tomás Malanos and Juan Cruz Mallía. They will need to be carefully monitored by the opposition. Mallía scored a hat-trick from fullback against Uruguay ‘A’ in October.

 

VERDICT

The Argentina XV enter the tournament as favorites. In order to fulfill this they must return home from Los Angeles with a victory. Home matches in the far south and north of Argentina should see victories as would both away matches in South America. The team has the personnel to win the tournament with bonus point victories.

 

FIXTURES

DATE	OPPONENT	VENUE	KICK_OFF TIME
Feb 3	USA	StubHub Center, Los Angeles	5pm Local, 8pm Eastern
Feb 10	Chile	Estadio Agustín Pichot, Ushuaia	5:40pm Local, 3:40pm Eastern
Feb 17	Uruguay	Estadio Burgueño, Punta del Este	8pm Local, 6pm Eastern
Feb 24	Canada	Gimnasia y Esgrima, Jujuy	8pm Local, 6pm Eastern
Mar 03	Brazil	Estádio Pereira, São José dos Campos	6pm Local, 4pm Eastern

 

SQUAD

NAME	POS	HGT	WGT	DOB	CAPS	CLUB
Díaz, Javier	LH	1.84 6-0	105 230	Jul 26 1995	–	Natación y Gimnasia
Ferronato, Francisco	LH	1.73 5-8	105 230	Jan 8 1988	–	Belgrano

Baldunciel, Gaspar	HO	1.81 5-11	98 215	Dec 9 1996	–	Alumni
Fortuny, Diego	HO	1.75 5-9	106 235	Sep 27 1991	–	Uni Salta

Espinal, Benjamín	TH	1.83 6-0	120 265	Mar 19 1991	–	Belgrano
Favre, Lucas	TH			Nov 20 1996	–	Lomas
Medrano, Santiago	TH	1.86 6-1	115 255	May 6 1996	–	Regatas Bella Vista

Galetto, Diego	LO	1.96 6-5	115 255	Jul 28 1992	–	Urú Curé
Larrague, Ignacio	LO	2.01 6-7	120 265	Oct 25 1995	–	CASI
Molina, Franco	LO	1.98 6-6	112 245	Aug 28 1997	–	Jockey Córdoba
Ureta, Jerónimo	LO	1.94 6-4	104 230	Oct 14 1996	–	Newman

Bavaro, Lautaro	FL	1.88 6-2	100 220	Sep 4 1994	–	Hindú
Gorrissen, Francisco	FL	1.91 6-3	100 220	Aug 30 1994	–	Belgrano
Montagner, Santiago	FL/N8	1.90 6-3	106 235	Apr 18 1995	–	Alumni

Bruni, Rodrigo	N8	1.89 6-2	109 240	Sep 3 1993	–	San Luis
de la Vega, Tomás	N8	1.92 6-4	102 225	Sep 18 1990	12	CUBA
Portillo, Santiago	N8	1.96 6-5	108 240	Nov 21 1995	–	Los Tarcos

Del Prete, Gregorio	SH	1.66 5-5	77 170	Mar 24 1995	1	San Luis
Magnasco, Luca	SH				–	Alumni
Nogueira, Facundo	SH				–	Marabunta

Elías, Martín	FH	1.83 6-0	83 180	Oct 16 1996	–	Atlético del Rosario
González, Juan Cruz	FH	1.70 5-7	82 180	Oct 1 1992	–	CUBA
Granella, Tomás	FH/CE	1.80 5-11	85 185	Aug 11 1995	–	Liceo Cuyo

Cappiello, Juan	CE	1.80 5-11	96 210	Mar 4 1992	3	Pucará
Mallía, Juan Cruz	CE	1.82 6-0	88 195	Sep 11 1996	–	Jockey Córdoba
Mensa, Lucas	CE				–	Pucará
Resino, Santiago	CE	1.77 5-10	86 190	Apr 21 1995	–	Uni Tucumán
Videla, Tomás	CE	1.78 5-10	90 200	Sep 20 1994	–	Liceo Cuyo

Domínguez, Julián	WI	1.89 6-2	93 205	Oct 4 1996	–	Pucará
Etchart, Rodrigo	WI	1.75 5-9	82 180	Jan 12 1994	–	SIC
Malanos, Tomás	WI	1.78 5-10	81 175	Jul 4 1997	–	Atlético del Rosario
Schulz, Germán	WI	1.88 6-2	95 210	Feb 5 1994	3	Tala

Arias, Gastón

FB

1.90 6-3

87 190

Jan 5 1994

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SIC