Alemanno, Tetaz Chaparro Reach 50 Caps

Argentine forwards Matías Alemanno and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro have reached 50 test caps. The duo reached the mark yesterday playing in the final round Rugby Championship fixture against Australia in Salta.

Both players are not tied on 50 test caps together with Mauricio Reggiardo and Leonardo Senatore. They became the 32nd and 33rd players respectively to reach 50 caps for Argentina. They join seven others as having played in the 2018 Rugby Championship.

Tetaz Chaparro debuted in 2010 against Chile. Of his 50 caps 36 have been test starts, coming on both sides of the scrum. He is now the player likely to start at Loose Head for Argentina in Japan 2019.

Alemanno debuted in 2014 and has rapidly made his way to 50 caps. 30 of his caps have been in the starting lineup. The remaining 20 have seen him used as back-up to Tomás Lavanini and Guido Petti. Both of them are closing in on 50 with Lavanini likely to do so in November.

In featuring from the bench in Salta, Alemanno became the first player from Córdoba to reach 50 test caps. He joins players from Buenos Aires, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Rosario, Mendoza, and Mar del Plata in the 50-cap club. No 8 Javier Ortega Desio is two away from becoming the fist player from Entre Rios to reach the mark.

The highest capped active player is Juan Manuel Leguizamón. He is now the 4th most capped Puma in history. Should he play in all three of Argentina’s November Internationals then he will become the all-time most capped Puma. Ahead of Leguizamón are Rolando Martín (85), Lisandro Arbizu (86) and Felipe Contepomi (87).

Hugo Porta was the first Argentine player to reach 50 caps. Having made his debut against Chile in Montevideo on October 10 1971, he reached the milestone on September 17 1985. His 50th test came against Uruguay in Asunción, Paraguay. It took the legendary Porta a staggering 14 years to reach his half-century, while Joaquín Tuculet has reached it into his seventh year as a Puma.