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The 2019 World Rugby Junior World Championship kicks-off today in Argentina. The host nation will become the third country, after France and Italy, to host the U20 Championship twice. Argentina previously played host to the event in 2010.
Argentina will open against western British side Wales. The Welsh have named a side featuring some highly promising talent for the future. Of these are hooker and captain Dewi Lake, and fly half Cai Evans.
The home side have named a side which would challenge any prior Pumitas team. Both fullback Ignacio Mendy, and center Santiago Chocobares trained with Los Jaguares this year while N8 Bautista Pedemonte is one of the rising stars in Argentina.
Argentina and Wales met at the 2018 U20 Championship in Narbonne, France. Los Pumitas enjoyed one of their best performances of the competition, completing a 39-15 victory. Their prior match in the competition was also in France with Wales winning 25-20 in Nantes in 2013.
France, and Fiji complete the pool. As such Argentina and Wales must come away with points or face the likelihood of missing out on competing for the Cup. The home side will go in with a edge thanks to their win from 2018, and having the local crowd in Rosario cheering them on. Los Pumitas are favorites to win by 10 points.
TEAMS
ARGENTINA
15 Ignacio Mendy, 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Juan Pablo Castro (capt.), 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Gerónimo Prisciantelli, 9 Gonzalo García, 8 Bautista Pedemonte, 7 Juan Martín González, 6 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel, 5 Lucas Bur, 4 Manuel Burnstein, 3 Francisco Coria, 2 Pablo Dimcheff, 1 Francisco Minervino
Replacements: 16 Thomás Gallo, 17 Ramiro Gurovich, 18 Francisco Calandra, 19 Estanislao Carullo, 20 Agustín Toth, 21 Ramiro Tallone Nadaff, 22 Jerónimo Gómez Vara, 23 Federico Parnas, 24 Joaquín Pellandini, 25 Joaquín de la Vega Mendía, 26 Nicolás Roger, 27 Tomás Acosta Pimentel, 28 Marcos Moneta
WALES
15 Ioan Davies, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Aneurin Owen, 12 Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, 11 Ryan Conbeer, 10 Cai Evans, 9 Harri Morgan, 8 Jac Morgan, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Lennon Greggains, 5 Jac Price, 4 Morgan Jones, 3 Ben Warren, 2 Dewi Lake (capt.), 1 Kemsley Mathias
Replacements: 16 Will Griffiths,17 Garin Lloyd, 18 Rhys Davies, 19 Tom Devine, 20 Nick English, 21 Teddy Williams, 22 Ed Scragg, 23 Iestyn Rees, 24 Dafydd Buckland, 25 Max Llewellyn, 26 Deon Smith, 27 Tomi Lewis
Date: Tuesday, June 04
Kick-Off: 1pm (Argentina)
Venue: Racecourse Stadium, Rosario
