Pumas Squad Named for Historic Córdoba All Blacks Test
Argentina Prepare to Face All Blacks with Revised Squad for Rugby Championship
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Argentina are gearing up for a challenging two-Test series against the All Blacks as part of the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship, announcing a squad featuring both seasoned veterans and emerging talent. The first Test will be a historic occasion, held in Cordoba – a first-ever Test match between the two nations in the city, and the All Blacks’ first visit as 2014.
squad Updates and injury concerns
The Pumas have been forced into several changes for the upcoming matches. Key players Tomas Lavanini and Gonzalo Bertranou are unavailable, with Bertranou recovering from an injury sustained during the England series. Additionally, Benjamin grondona, Emilino Boffelli, and Thomas Gallo are sidelined due to injury.
Though, the squad welcomes back players who didn’t feature against England, including juan Cruz Mallia, Santiago Chocobares, Marcos Kremer, Bautista Delguy, Mateo Carreras, and Ignazio Ruiz. This provides Head Coach Michael Cheika with a broader range of options and fresh energy as they prepare to take on the formidable All Blacks.
Past Context: argentina vs. New Zealand
While Argentina has tasted victory against New Zealand on three occasions – most recently with a stunning 38-30 win in Wellington last year - they are yet to secure a win on home soil. The two sides played to a 21-21 draw in 1985, the only previous Test played in Argentina. The All Blacks claimed a decisive 42-10 victory in their last encounter at Eden Park in 2023.
This historical context adds extra significance to the Cordoba Test. Playing in front of a passionate home crowd will be a massive boost for the Pumas as they aim to break their home-ground drought against New Zealand. The match will be held at the iconic Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium.
Match Officials Announced
The officiating team for the two Tests has also been confirmed. frenchman Pierre Brousset will take charge of the first Test in Cordoba, while Australian Nic Berry will oversee the second match in Buenos aires.
The Argentina Squad in Full
Here’s a look at the full Argentina squad selected for the Rugby Championship series against the All Blacks:
Forwards: Bautista Bernasconi,Francisco Coria Marchetti,Pedro Delgado,Juan Martin Gonzalez,Santiago Gondona,Marcos Kremer,Pablo Matera,Franco Molina,Julian Montya,Joaquin Oviedo,Lucas Paulos,Guido Petti,Pedro Rubiolo,Ignacio Ruiz,Joel Sclavi,Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro,Mayco Vivas,Boris Wenger.
Backs: Thomas Bathrobe, Simon Benitez Cruz, Mateo Carreras, Santiago Chocobars, Lucio Cinti, Bautista Delguy, Benjamin Elizalde, Gonzalo Garcia, Rodrigo Isgro, Juan cruz Mallia, Iganacio mendy, Agustin Moyano, Just Piccardo, Geronimo Prisciantelli.
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