Santiago Phelan announces Los Pumas final 30-man squad for 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign
The Argentinean national rugby union team, also known as Los Pumas, has announced their final 30-man squad for their 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign.
Los Pumas head coach, Santiago Phelan, has listed the 30-man squad in a press conference at the union’s headquarters at San Isidro Club, on Wednesday, August 10. The official website of the
Argentina Rugby Union, has also confirmed the roster of the final team.
Earlier in June this year, Phelan had announced a list of the provisional 40-man squad for their 2011 RWC preparations. The squad has undergone a series of training camps, which was coupled
with their matches against the French Barbarians side.
Commenting on the occasion, Phelan confirmed that the decision to leave out the players from the final squad was a tough one. The players left out from the squad include Lucas Borges, Martin
Bustos Moyano, Agustin Figuerola, Genaro Fessia, Santiago Guzman, Andres Bordoy, Eusebio Guinazu, Rafael Carballo and Gabriel Ascarate.
Additionally, Argentina suffered a major World Cup setback after their star utility back Juan Martín Hernández was left out of the squad. Hernández failed to recover from a knee ligament injury.
Phelan has expressed his disappointment on the unavailability of the Hernández due to the injury. He said, “It’s a very big loss for any team as he’s a big attacking threat, Although including
him would have been a great addition for us, we couldn’t count on his presence.”
The 28-year-old Hernández was one of the five players nominated for the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) 2007 player of the year award. He was simply sensational in the 2007 RWC, in which
he saw his team finish third in the tournament.
Phelan has confirmed that there is no break for the players as they continue with their training until August 13. They will leave for Wales on Sunday, August 14, where they will play their
first of two pre world-cup warm up matches against the hosts at the Millennium Stadium, on August 20. Later they will play their second match against the Worcester Warriors.
Los Pumas final 30-man squad for their 2011 RWC campaign includes,
AGULLA, Horacio (Leicester Tigers/ RFU), ALBACETE, Patricio (Stade Tolousian/FFR), AYERZA, Marcos Iván (Leicester Tigers/RFU), BOSCH, Marcelo (Biarritz Olympique/FFR), BUSTOS, Maximiliano (Montpellier/FFR),
CAMACHO, Gonzalo Oscar(Exeter/RFU), CAMPOS, Alejandro, CARIZZA, Manuel(Biarritz Olympique/FFR), CONTEPOMI, Felipe (Stade Francais/FFR), CREEVY, Agustín (Montpellier/FFR), FARIAS CABELLO, Julio Alfredo(Tucumán RC/ Tucumán), FERNANDEZ LOBBE, Juan Martín (Toulon/FFR),
FERNANDEZ, Santiago (Montpellier/FFR), FIGALLO, Juan (Montpellier/FFR),GALARZA, Mariano, GALINDO, Alvaro (Racing Metro/FFR), GONZALEZ AMOROSINO, Lucas (Montpellier/FFR), GOSIO, Agustin Oscar (Club Newman/ Buenos Aires), IMHOFF, Juan José (Duendes RC/ Rosario),
LALANNE, Alfredo, LEDESMA AROCENA, Mario Ezequiel, LEGUIZAMON, Juan Manuel (Lyon OU/FFR), RODRIGUEZ, Martín (Stade Francais/FFR), RONCERO, Rodrigo(Stade Francais/FFR), SANCHEZ, Federico Nicolás (Union Bordeaux Begles/FFR), SCELZO, Martín (Agen/FFR), SENATORE,
Leonardo Vicente (Gimnasia y Esgrima/ Rosario), TIESI, Gonzalo Pedro (Stade Francais/FFR), VALLEJOS, Tomas (Harlequins/ RFU), VERGALLO, Nicolás (Stade Tolousian/FFR).
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