Argentina national rugby union team

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Argentina
Logo UAR.svg
Union Unión Argentina de Rugby
Nickname(s) Los Pumas
Emblem(s) Jaguar
Coach(es) Santiago Phelan[1]
Captain(s) Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe
Most caps Lisandro Arbizu (87)
Top scorer Felipe Contepomi (628)[2][3]
Most tries José María Núñez Piossek (30)
Team kit
Change kit
First international
 Argentina 3 – 28 British Lions United Kingdom
(12 June 1910)
Largest win
 Argentina 152–0 Paraguay 
(1 May 2002)
Largest defeat
 New Zealand 93 – 8 Argentina 
(21 June 1997)
World Cup
Appearances 7/7 (First in 1987)
Best result Third, 2007

The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR, from the Spanish: Unión Argentina de Rugby).

Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British Isles team. As of October 2011 they are ranked 8th in the world by the IRB, making them the highest-ranked nation in the Americas. They have competed at every Rugby World Cup staged since the inaugural tournament of 1987, and the country is undefeated against all American nations, with the exception of Canada, against whom they have suffered two losses out of eight test matches.

Although rugby union is nowhere near as popular as football in Argentina, Los Pumas' impressive results since the 1999 World Cup have seen the sport's popularity grow significantly. Argentina has achieved several upset victories, are tough contenders when playing in Buenos Aires, and are fully capable of regularly defeating Six Nations sides. A surprise victory over the hosts France in the first game of the 2007 World Cup took Argentina to fourth in the IRB World Rankings. The team were undefeated in their pool, and reached the semi-finals for the first time, beating Scotland 19–13 in their quarter-final. They were defeated 37–13 by eventual winners South Africa in the semi-finals, but followed this up with a second win over France to claim third place overall.

In March 2008 the team reached an all-time high of third in the IRB World Rankings. As of 23 March 2001 Argentina ranked fifth in the world behind Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland, but have since slipped to 8th place.

After their advances in competitiveness and performance during the 2000s, coupled with their location in the Southern Hemisphere, Argentina has been invited to play in the 2012 The Rugby Championship tournament against the national teams of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.[4]

After Marcelo Loffreda left following the 2007 Rugby World Cup to take up the head coaching job at Guinness Premiership club Leicester Tigers, the UAR spent nearly five months searching for a successor until opting for a two-coach setup, with former Pumas Santiago Phelan and Fabián Turnes taking over.[1]

Contents

History [edit]

Early years [edit]

R. Cooper, former team captain in 1928.
The team that played British Lions when they toured on Argentina in 1927.

The first rugby union match in Argentina was played in 1873, the game having been brought to Argentina by British immigrants. In 1899, four clubs in Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, joined together to form the River Plate Rugby Football Union. In 1910 a side managed by Oxford University – supposedly the England national team, but including three Scottish players — toured Argentina as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Revolución de Mayo: the people of Argentina termed it the "Combined British", also known as "Great Britain XV". Argentina made its international debut against this team under the name "The River Plate Rugby Football Union" on 12 June. The match was played at Belgrano Athletic field and Argentina lost 28–3. The only try for the local team was scored by C.J. McCarthy of Belgrano Athletic. The Argentina line-up was: Saffery, MacCarthy, Gebbie, Bovet, Donnelly, Gribell, Hayman, Heatlie, Henrys, Heriot, Mold, Reid, Sawyer, Watson and Talbot, being all of them descendant of British immigrants.[5][6]

In 1927 the British Isles Lions toured Argentina for second time, with the Lions winning all nine encounters; the tour did however become a financial success for Argentine rugby. Of the nine encounters, four tests were played, which Argentina lost by over 30 points in all. All the games took place in Buenos Aires. The important fact was that all the players on the field were Argentine-born.[6]

Five years passed until another international team would return to Argentina, which would be the Junior Springboks in 1932, playing a two match series. Argentina lost both.

In 1936 the British Isles visited Argentina again, winning all ten of their matches and only conceding nine points in the whole tour. Only one test was played on the tour, with Argentina losing 23–0. The following month Argentina left the country to play their first away tests – against Chile in Valparaiso. Argentina won the first test (and their first game), 29–0. The second match was won by a similar margin. Two years later Argentina hosted Chile, which resulted in Argentina winning by 30 points.

Post war [edit]

fixtures 25–6 and 11–3. This was followed by a 4–0 win over Peru, and a 50–3 win over Uruguay, though Argentina then lost to Chile for the first time. At the second South American tournament, in 1958, Argentina accounted for Uruguay 50–3 and Peru 44–0. And despite some drinking before their game against the hosts Chile in Santiago, Argentina's players still emerged victorious 14–0. In 1959 the Junior Springboks returned to Buenos Aires, winning both fixtures 14–6, and 20–5.

1960s: "Los Pumas" [edit]

The forward line of 1970: García Yáñez, Handley and Foster

In 1960, France visited Buenos Aires for a three match series against Argentina. The hosts still could not get their first win over the French, with France winning all three tests 37–3, 12–3 and 29–6. The following year Argentina again showed their dominance on a continental level, winning the South American tournament held in Montevideo, by beating Brazil 60–0, Uruguay 36–3 and Chile 11–3. In 1964 a new version of the South American tournament was played in San Pablo and Argentina again achieved huge victories over Uruguay (25–6), Brazil (30–5) and Chile (30–8).

In the late 1960s the four home unions began tours to Argentina, and after Wales struggled in both Tests in Buenos Aires in 1967 it became clear that Argentina would be a difficult place to win a series. Scotland lost the first test in 1968, but won a close second test two weeks later.

The first trip of the Argentina national rugby team to the other side of the Atlantic was to Rhodesia and South Africa in 1965. The team acquired the nickname "Pumas", from a local journalist after their first tour match, a defeat on 8 May to Rhodesia in Salisbury 17–12. The book "Be Pumas" recalls the Wackley Farmer of Rhodesia magazine commenting on the emblem embroidered on the tourists' jerseys was like a puma – rather than a jaguar. After defeats to Salisbury and Northern Transvaal, the first win came against Western Transvaal, another against South West Africa Country Districts and finally against the Southern Universities. The Pumas scored a landmark win of 11–6 against the Junior Springboks. They were welcomed home to Buenos Aires by a huge crowd; the tour had harvested 11 victories, one draw and four defeats over two months.

Former captain Hugo Porta played 58 test matches with 590 points scored.[3]

A match was then organised against the French champions Section Paloise, although the match was remembered for the uproar and misconduct of both teams rather than the Argentine victory. Then Oxford & Cambridge arrived, a team that the Pumas had never beaten. The first match finished level at 19–19 and the second saw the University students triumph 9–3. 1965 ended with a match against Chile, which the Pumas won 23–11.

In 1966, the Gazelles arrived, a kind of a Junior Springboks B team. The visitors took two victories 9–3 and 20–15. In September 1967, Argentina played in Buenos Aires in the South American Championship with victories over Uruguay 38–6 and Chile 18–0. Wales arrived in Buenos Aires in 1968 and for the first time in their history the Pumas were able to triumph in a series, winning the first match 9–5 and drawing the second 9–9. The first great decade in Argentine rugby came to a close with the arrival of Scotland in 1969. The first match saw a big Argentine victory 20–3, but in the second game the visitors narrowly won 6–3.

1970s and 1980s [edit]

Through the 1970s, Argentina confirmed its steady rise towards top-tier status under the influence of its first truly world-class player, fly-half Hugo Porta. During their European tour in 1976, the Pumas came tantalizingly close to a historic victory at Cardiff Arms Park over Wales, then the dominant force in the Northern Hemisphere. Only a Phil Bennett penalty on a foul by Gabriel Travaglini at the death allowed the Welsh to escape with a 20–19 victory. Two years later Argentina returned for their 1978 European tour and held a virtually full-strength England XV to a 13–13 draw before losing 6–19 to Italy.

Los Pumas during the historic tie of 21–21 vs. the All Blacks, in 1985.

From the late seventies to the early nineties, Argentina never lost the two matches of a series held in Buenos Aires, in a period that included victories against France, England, Australia and a 21–21 tie to the All Blacks, which is probably the most important result ever obtained by the Pumas, thanks to an outstanding performance by Hugo Porta who scored all of Argentina's points.

Late 20th century [edit]

By the time the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, in 1987, Argentines were confident their national team would at least make it to quarter-finals. However, an unexpected loss to Fiji prevented the team from clinching the first round. Argentina won their first ever World Cup game when they defeated Italy in Christchurch.

Over the following years, the retirement of many of Argentina's most experienced players, and the defection of many others to professional leagues (rugby union is still an amateur sport in Argentina and UAR's regulations of the time prevented any player who played professionally from playing for the national team) left Argentina with an inexperienced side.

The team that beat France in 1985.

This led to disappointing performances in the 1991 and 1995 World Cups, although in the latter Argentina presented a powerful pack which was praised by the international media. Argentina's tighthead prop, Patricio Noriega and hooker, Federico Méndez, went to play in Australia and South Africa respectively after their performance. Noriega even played for the Wallabies.

In 1999, a more experienced and somewhat under-rated Argentina made it to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time. They had finished second in their group to Wales, and went onto the quarter-final play-offs. After a vibrant 28–24 win against Ireland, they were eliminated by France, 28–47, in the quarter-final. Gonzalo Quesada was the highest overall points scorer in the tournament with 102.

The new millennium [edit]

In April 2000, Marcelo Loffreda was appointed coach of Argentina.

Argentina participated in the 2003 World Cup, but missed out on progressing to the quarter-finals due to a 15–16 loss to Ireland. Because of the fixture list, Argentina had to play four games in a fortnight, whereas Ireland played the same number of games in four weeks.

In 2004 Argentina showed good form, splitting a midyear two-test home series with Wales. Los Pumas handed defending Six Nations champion France a 24–14 loss in November 2004 at Marseille, before losing 21–19 to Ireland on a last-minute drop goal. After returning to Argentina, the Pumas lost 39–7 to the visiting Springboks; however, the Pumas were without 10 regular starters who had returned to their club teams in Europe.

Perhaps one of the Pumas' best matches of the decade came on 23 May 2005, when they played the British and Irish Lions in Cardiff before the Lions' tour to New Zealand. The Pumas chose a side of second- and third-choice players as 25 players were unavailable due to club commitments. An inspired Pumas performance, combined with lacklustre play by a mostly second-choice Lions side, put Argentina on the verge of a great upset until a Jonny Wilkinson penalty at the death salvaged a 25–25 draw and the Lions avoided a humiliating defeat. When the Springboks returned to Argentina in November of that year at Vélez Sársfield, they faced a much stronger Pumas side, with most of their European-based players present. The Pumas took a 20–16 lead into the half-time break, before fading the second half and losing 34–23. The following week, the Pumas defeated Scotland 23–19 Murrayfield for the Pumas fifth consecutive win over Scotland since 1990.

The Pumas during their November 2006 win over England at Twickenham.

In the 2006 mid-year tests, Argentina swept Wales in a two-test tour for their first test series win over Wales. Argentina won the first test 27–25, in the first Argentina test in Patagonia. The second test at Vélez Sársfield saw the Pumas win 45–27, Argentina's largest win ever over Wales. Los Pumas next hosted the All Blacks at Vélez Sársfield. The All Blacks survived a Pumas assault in the final minutes to hang on to win 25–19 and to deny Argentina a huge upset. Argentina then defeated Chile 60–13 in Santiago and defeated Uruguay 26–0 at home to qualify for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The 2006 end-of-year Tests began with a bang for Los Pumas, as they handed England a 25–18 defeat at Twickenham, resulting in the fans booing the England team off the pitch.[7] Further success followed for the Pumas, defeating Italy in Rome, and coming within one point of beating France in Paris.

The Sunday Times of London reported in February 2007 that the IRB was brokering a deal with SANZAR, the body that organises the Tri Nations, to admit Los Pumas to the competition. However, The Sunday Times indicated that one of the biggest stumbling blocks was the UAR's commitment to amateurism.[8] By August of that year, it became clear that the competition would not be expanded until the key SANZAR media contract with News Corporation expired in 2010. An IRB spokesman noted the contract, Southern Hemisphere fixture congestion, and the lack of a professional structure in Argentina as reasons that Los Pumas could not be admitted any sooner.[9]

2007 Rugby World Cup [edit]

See also: 2007 Rugby World Cup
Ignacio Corleto, on his way to score a try against France at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Argentine fans during the 2007 Rugby World Cup held in France.

Los Pumas began their final preparation for the 2007 Rugby World Cup with a summer two-test series against visiting Ireland, with a 22–20 win at Santa Fe,[10][11] and a 16–0 win at Vélez Sársfield.[12] Los Pumas then completed a clean sweep of their mid-year tests with a 24–6 win over Italy in Mendoza. They split their final warmup tests, defeating Chile 70–14 at CASI in Buenos Aires, before losing to Wales 20–27 at Millennium Stadium.

At the World Cup, Los Pumas were drawn into the so-called pool of death, featuring two other teams ranked in the top six in the IRB rankings—Ireland and the hosts France. On top of this, they opened the World Cup at Stade de France against the French, marking the third consecutive World Cup in which they played against the host nation in the World Cup opener. In possibly one of their finest hours,[13] the Pumas took a 17–9 lead into the half, and held on for a surprising 17–12 win. The Pumas subsequently beat Georgia 33–3 at the Stade de Gerland, Lyon. Argentina then went on to beat Namibia 63–3 in Marseille, the biggest winning margin in Argentine World Cup history. They then went on to secure a 30–15 victory against Ireland, which ensured that Argentina topped the group.

Argentina then defeated Scotland 19–13 in the quarter-final at the Stade de France. The Pumas' improbable run towards the Webb Ellis trophy ended in a comprehensive 37–13 defeat by the Springboks in the semi-final at Stade de France. However, the Pumas recovered to beat France for the second time in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, a 34–10 win in the 3rd/4th place playoff. The 3rd place showing for the Pumas in the 2007 Rugby World Cup was Argentina's best ever result in Rugby World Cup history. Argentina's performance marked the first time that a team from outside the Six Nations or Tri Nations competition reached the semifinals of the Rugby World Cup, and gave renewed momentum propelling Argentina towards joining one of those competitions.

During their World Cup run, the normally football-crazed Argentines embraced the Pumas so much that El Superclásico, the Buenos Aires football derby between Boca Juniors and River Plate was rescheduled so that it would not conflict with the Pumas' quarter-final match.[14] As the only major Spanish language country in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the Pumas also had considerable support from rugby fans in Spain, Uruguay, and other Latin American countries during their impressive five game winning streak.

After the 2007 World Cup [edit]

In November 2007, in the wake of Argentina's World Cup run, the future status of Los Pumas was a key topic of discussion at an IRB conference on the future worldwide growth of the sport. The decisions made at the conference regarding Argentina were:[15]

  • Starting in 2008, the Pumas will play more annual Tests, increasing from the previous six Tests per year to nine by 2010.
  • By 2010, the team will play four Tests in the June Test window, three in November, and two during the Six Nations window in February and March.
  • Between 2008 and 2010, Argentina will develop a professional structure within the country, with the goal of having the majority of Argentine professionals playing at home. Sometime around 2012, Los Pumas will then be "fully integrated into the Southern top-flight Rugby playing structure" (read "Tri Nations").

On 7 June 2008, the Pumas beat Scotland in Rosario, Argentina 21–15, thus maintaining their position as the 3rd highest ranked team in the IRB rankings.

In June 2009 the British media reported that Argentina were lobbying for the 2013 British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia to incorporate a series of games in Argentina. The proposed format would be three provincial games in Argentina followed by two international tests, followed by three provincial games in Australia followed by three international tests.[16]

2011 Rugby World Cup [edit]

See also: 2011 Rugby World Cup
Los Pumas against England in RWC 2011

World Cup preparations for Los Pumas began with a drawn 1–1 series against the French Barbarians, a 78–15 win against a South American Invitational XV, and a 21–15 victory against the Aviva Premiership club Worcester Warriors. In their only international test warm-up match, Los Pumas lost 28–13 to Wales in Cardiff.

Los Pumas kicked off their 2011 World Cup with a 13–9 loss against England, a match which they led for over 60 minutes. They next beat Romania 43–8. The following match against Scotland decided which team would reach the quarterfinals. A late try by replacement fullback Lucas González Amorosino and a successful conversion meant Los Pumas won 13–12. Argentina finished the pool stage by winning 25–9 against Georgia.

Argentina's final match of the tournament was the quarterfinal against eventual champions All Blacks. In a surprisingly close first half, Argentina led 7–6 after 30 minutes following a try by Julio Farias Cabello. As the game went on, the All Blacks began to dominate, leading to a final score of 33–10.

While not as glamorous as the 2007 tournament for the Pumas, their campaign was considered relatively successful as they qualified for the quarterfinals from a pool that featured England and Scotland, and put up a valiant quarterfinal display against the All Blacks. It marked the first time that Argentina qualified for the quarterfinals in two consecutive World Cup tournaments.

Tier 1 competition: The Rugby Championship [edit]

See also: The Rugby Championship

2012 saw another major breakthrough for the Pumas, as they joined the The Rugby Championship (formerly known as the Tri Nations) against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This was the first time Argentina participated in an annual Tier 1 international competition. Argentina played its first match of the 2012 Rugby Championship against South Africa in Cape Town on 18 August 2012, losing 27–6. Argentina quickly recovered one week later in Mendoza to achieve a 16–16 draw against South Africa for its best result ever against the Springboks. Argentina acquitted themselves well against Australia, losing 19–23 and then 19–25 to earn a losing bonus point in each match. Argentina also played respectably against the All Blacks in New Zealand, with Argentina keeping the score 5–6 at the half before losing 5–21. Despite not winning a game in their inaugural season, Argentina made a commendable debut, particularly taking into consideration three of their matches were determined by less than one converted try (7 points).

Colours, symbol and name [edit]

Argentina alternated blue and white jerseys during its first international matches in 1910. In 1927 Mr. Abelardo Gutiérrez of Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires proposed that Argentina should play against British Lions in a striped white and light blue jersey. That request was accepted and Argentina wore the striped uniform for the first time in its history.[17]

Los Pumas play in a shirt in the country's flag (and sporting) colours of light blue and white, white shorts, and socks in light blue and white. In 2011, the UAR signed a deal with Nike which became the exclusive kit provider for all its national senior and youth teams, including Pampas XV.[18] The first uniform designed by the American company left the traditional horizontal-striped jersey behind, featuring a single light blue with white shoulders jersey, although it was announced that Los Pumas will wear its traditional uniform again when they play the 2012 Rugby Championship.[19]

On September 1941, Abelardo Gutiérrez (who had proposed the use of a white and blue jersey for the team 14 years prior) suggested a badge with the figure of a lion. The color of the crest was blue (due to Buenos Aires Cricket Club, where the first rugby match in Argentine had been played). The animal was later replaced by a native to Argentine species, so the jaguar was chosen due to his "agility and courage", according to their words.[17]

The Pumas nickname is the result of an error made by Carl Kohler, a journalist for the then Die Transvaler newspaper in South Africa, while following the team during their first overseas tour ever – to Southern Africa in 1965. He tried to devise a catchy nickname for the team similar to existing international team nicknames such as All Blacks, Springboks, and Wallabies. He asked Isak van Heerden, the then coach of the Natal Rugby team who was asked by the SARB to assist with the tour, for ideas. They saw a picture of a type of lion with spots on the UAR crest. Kohler was aware that the Americas had jaguars and pumas, and as he was under pressure to submit his article, made a guess and called them the Pumas, instead of the actual jaguar. The mistake stuck, and was eventually adopted by the Argentines themselves (although the UAR crest still depicts a jaguar).[20]

Uniform evolution [edit]
1910-27 1
1910-27 1
1927-2012
2012-present
Notes:
  • 1 The team alternated white and blue jerseys during that period.

Home grounds [edit]

The Pumas use a variety of stadiums when playing at home. One of the most frequently used for Tests is Vélez Sársfield in Buenos Aires. When Great Britain first came to Argentina in the tour of 1910, the first Argentina Test was played in Buenos Aires. During the mid year Tests in 2007, as well as Vélez Sársfield, Argentina played games at venues including Estadio B.G. Estanislao López in Santa Fe and Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza. Argentina have also used the River Plate Stadium in the past, and in 2006 hosted Wales at Estadio Raúl Conti in Puerto Madryn.

Record [edit]

Overall [edit]

Argentina have won 194 of their 345 Test matches, a win record of 57.53%.[21][22] When the world rankings were introduced by the IRB in October 2003, Argentina were ranked seventh. They fell to eighth in the rankings in June 2004, before rising back to seventh by November that year. They fell back to eighth in February 2005, and stayed there until falling to their lowest ranking of ninth in February 2006. Since then, Argentina rose to eighth in July 2006, then sixth in November of that year. They had a one week fall to seventh, then one week later rose to fifth to start the World Cup 2007.

Los Pumas twice surpassed their highest ranking at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.[23] Defeating number three France, the first opening game loss for a World Cup hosting nation, moved them into fourth place, their highest position since the IRB World Rankings were established. They lost to eventual champions South Africa in the semi-final but beat France yet again in the bronze medal round to set another highest ranking, third, behind South Africa and New Zealand.

Their Test record against all nations, updated 29 December 2012:[21]

Top 25 Rankings as of 20 May 2013[24]
Rank Change* Team Points
1 Steady  New Zealand 90.08
2 Steady  South Africa 86.94
3 Steady  Australia 86.87
4 Steady  England 83.72
5 Steady  Wales 83.36
6 Steady  France 81.59
7 Steady  Samoa 78.71
8 Steady  Argentina 78.71
9 Steady  Ireland 78.05
10 Steady  Scotland 76.86
11 Steady  Tonga 76.10
12 Steady  Italy 76.06
13 Steady  Fiji 71.52
14 Steady  Canada 71.41
15 Steady  Japan 70.09
16 Steady  United States 68.32
17 Steady  Georgia 67.66
18 Steady  Romania 65.82
19 Steady  Russia 62.34
20 Steady  Spain 60.44
21 Steady  Uruguay 59.87
22 Steady  Portugal 58.82
23 Steady  Namibia 58.45
24 Increase2  South Korea 58.10
25 Decrease1  Belgium 57.52
*Change from the previous week
Argentina's Historical Rankings
Argentina IRB World Rankings.png
Source: IRB - Graph updated to 20 May 2013[24]
Against Played Won Lost Drawn  % Won
 Australia 19 4 14 1 21.05%
 Brazil 11 11 0 0 100%
British and Irish Lions flag.svg British and Irish Lions 7 0 6 1 0.00%
 Canada 8 6 2 0 75.00%
 Chile 28 28 0 0 100%
 England 16 4 11 1 25.00%
 Fiji 4 3 1 0 75.00%
 France 47 12 34 1 25.53%
 Georgia 2 2 0 0 100%
 Ireland 13 5 8 0 38.46%
 Italy 18 12 5 1 66.67%
 Japan 5 4 1 0 80.00%
 Namibia 2 2 0 0 100%
 New Zealand 16 0 15 1 0.00%
 Paraguay 16 16 0 0 100%
 Peru 1 1 0 0 100%
 Romania 8 8 0 0 100%
 Samoa 4 1 3 0 25.00%
 Scotland 13 9 4 0 69.23%
 South Africa 16 0 15 1 0.00%
 Spain 4 4 0 0 100%
 United States 9 9 0 0 100%
 Uruguay 31 31 0 0 100%
 Venezuela 1 1 0 0 100%
 Wales 17 6 10 1 35.29%
 World XV 3 3 0 0 100%
Total 319 182 129 8 57.05%

World Cup [edit]

Main article: Argentina at the Rugby World Cup
Wikinews has related news: 2007 Rugby World Cup: France 10 – 34 Argentina
  • 1987 – Pool stage
  • 1991 – Pool stage
  • 1995 – Pool stage
  • 1999 – Quarter-finals
  • 2003 – Pool stage
  • 2007 – Semi-finals, (3rd place)
  • 2011 – Quarter-finals

The Rugby Championship [edit]

Rugby Championship (2012 — )
Nation Games Points Bonus
points		 Table
points		 Championships
played won drawn lost for against difference
 New Zealand 6 6 0 0 177 66 +111 2 26 1
 Australia 6 3 0 3 101 137 -36 0 12 0
 South Africa 6 2 1 3 120 109 +11 2 12 0
 Argentina 6 0 1 5 80 166 -86 2 4 0

Updated: 7 Oct 2012
Source: espnscrum.com


Players [edit]

Current squad [edit]

Argentina 28-man Squad for the 2013 England rugby union tour of Argentina and single test against Georgia[25]

Head Coach: Argentina Santiago Phelan

Caps Updated: 16 May 2013


Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by the International Rugby Board.

Player Position Date of Birth (Age) Caps Club/province
Martín García Veiga Hooker (1986-06-20) 20 June 1986 (age 26) 3 Argentina Buenos Aires
Mauricio Guidone Hooker (1988-01-28) 28 January 1988 (age 25) 7 Argentina La Plata
Bruno Postiglioni Hooker (1987-04-08) 8 April 1987 (age 26) 7 Argentina La Plata
Maximiliano Bustos Prop (1986-04-02) 2 April 1986 (age 27) 1 France Montpellier
Francisco Gómez Kodela Prop (1985-07-07) 7 July 1985 (age 27) 8 France Biarritz
Pablo Henn Prop (1982-07-15) 15 July 1982 (age 30) 8 France CA Brive
Guillermo Roan Prop (1988-06-18) 18 June 1988 (age 24) 4 France Cavalieri Prato
Julio Farías Cabello Lock (1978-09-19) 19 September 1978 (age 34) 19 England London Welsh
Mariano Galarza Lock (1986-12-11) 11 December 1986 (age 26) 8 Argentina La Plata Uni.
Esteban Lozada Lock (1982-01-08) 8 January 1982 (age 31) 19 France Agen
Tomas Vallejos Lock (1984-10-16) 16 October 1984 (age 28) 4 Argentina Pampas XV
Rodrigo Báez Flanker (1989-02-08) 8 February 1989 (age 24) 5 Argentina Liceo
Tomás de la Vega Flanker (1990-09-28) 28 September 1990 (age 22) 6 Argentina CUBA
Tomás Leonardi Flanker (1987-07-01) 1 July 1987 (age 25) 15 South Africa Southern Kings
Benjamín Macome Number 8 (1986-01-10) 10 January 1986 (age 27) 8 Argentina Tucumán
Tomás Cubelli Scrum-half (1989-06-12) 12 June 1989 (age 23) 11 Argentina Belgrano
Martín Landajo Scrum-half (1988-06-14) 14 June 1988 (age 24) 17 Argentina C.A.S.I.
Nicolás Vergallo Scrum-half (1983-04-20) 20 April 1983 (age 30) 31 South Africa Southern Kings
Felipe Contepomi (c) Fly-half (1977-08-20) 20 August 1977 (age 35) 79 France Stade Français
Benjamín Madero Fly-half (1988-06-18) 18 June 1988 (age 24) 2 Argentina San Isidro
Gabriel Ascárate Centre (1987-10-20) 20 October 1987 (age 25) 5 France Carcassonne
Matías Orlando Centre (1991-11-14) 14 November 1991 (age 21) 3 Argentina Huirapuca
Gonzalo Tiesi Centre (1985-04-24) 24 April 1985 (age 28) 33 England London Welsh
Benjamín Urdapilleta Centre (1986-03-11) 11 March 1986 (age 27) 8 France Oyonnax
Belisario Agulla Wing (1988-05-20) 20 May 1988 (age 25) 8 France Agen
Manuel Montero Wing (1991-11-20) 20 November 1991 (age 21) 7 Argentina Club Pucará
Martín Bustos Moyano Wing (1991-11-20) 20 November 1991 (age 21) 7 Argentina Pucará
Martín Bustos Moyano Fullback (1985-07-12) 12 July 1985 (age 27) 1 France Montpellier
Tomás Carrió Fullback (1989-03-10) 10 March 1989 (age 24) 3 Argentina Duendes

Recent Call Ups [edit]

The following players were involved with the Pumas squad in 2012 but are not part of the current squad, either due to injury or non-selection.


Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by the International Rugby Board.

Player Position Date of Birth (Age) Caps Club/province
Andrés Bordoy Hooker (1982-12-30) 30 December 1982 (age 30) 2 France Pau
Juan Figallo Prop (1988-03-25) 25 March 1988 (age 25) 17 France Montpellier
Juan Gomez Prop (1984-03-27) 27 March 1984 (age 29) 6 Argentina Los Matreros
Pablo Henn Prop (1982-07-15) 15 July 1982 (age 30) 7 France Brive
Juan Pablo Orlandi Prop (1983-06-20) 20 June 1983 (age 29) 10 France Racing Métro
Rodrigo Roncero Prop (1977-02-16) 16 February 1977 (age 36) 55 France Stade Français
Francisco Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro Prop (1989-11-06) 6 November 1989 (age 23) 3 France Stade Français
Patricio Albacete Lock (1981-12-09) 9 December 1981 (age 31) 52 France Toulouse
Rodrigo Bruno Lock (1987-05-15) 15 May 1987 (age 26) 7 Argentina Jockey Villa María
Esteban Lozada Lock (1982-01-08) 8 January 1982 (age 31) 19 France Agen
Benjamín Macome Lock (1986-01-10) 10 January 1986 (age 27) 8 Argentina Tucumán
Santiago Guzmán Lock (1989-01-11) 11 January 1989 (age 24) 5 Argentina Tucumán
Rodrigo Báez Flanker (1989-02-08) 8 February 1989 (age 24) 5 Argentina Liceo
Genaro Fessia Flanker (1981-07-22) 22 July 1981 (age 31) 13 Argentina Córdoba
Alvaro Galindo Flanker (1982-02-26) 26 February 1982 (age 31) 13 France Racing Métro
Agustín Figuerola Scrum-half (1985-01-27) 27 January 1985 (age 28) 7 France Oyonnax
Ignacio Mieres Fly-half (1987-04-06) 6 April 1987 (age 26) 6 England Exeter Chiefs
Benjamín Urdapilleta Fly-half (1986-03-11) 11 March 1986 (age 27) 8 France Oyonnax
Gabriel Ascárate Centre (1987-10-20) 20 October 1987 (age 25) 5 France Carcassonne
Felipe Contepomi Centre (1977-08-20) 20 August 1977 (age 35) 79 France Stade Français
Rafael Carballo Centre (1981-10-16) 16 October 1981 (age 31) 9 France Bordeaux
Belisario Agulla Wing (1988-05-20) 20 May 1988 (age 25) 8 France Agen
Horacio Agulla Wing (1984-10-22) 22 October 1984 (age 28) 42 England Bath
Facundo Barrea Wing (1989-03-10) 10 March 1989 (age 24) 4 Argentina Córdoba
Martín Bustos Moyano Wing (1985-07-12) 12 July 1985 (age 27) 1 France Montpellier
Agustín Gosio Wing (1983-03-17) 17 March 1983 (age 30) 3 Argentina Newman
Lucas González Amorosino Fullback (1985-02-11) 11 February 1985 (age 28) 21 France Montpellier
Román Miralles Fullback (1983-08-01) 1 August 1983 (age 29) 6 Argentina Duendes
Martín Rodríguez Fullback (1985-04-27) 27 April 1985 (age 28) 19 France Stade Français

Coaches [edit]

Coaches:[26]

  • 1932: Edmundo Cundo Stanfield
  • 1936: Luis Cilley, Edmundo Stanfield and C. Huntley Robertson.
  • 1954: Juan C. Wells.
  • 1956: Dermot Cavanagh and Horacio Savino.
  • 1959: Jorge Merelle.
  • 1960: Saturnino Racimo.
  • 1965: Izaak Van Heerden, Alberto Camardón and Ángel Guastella.
  • 1965–1966: Alberto Camardón and Ángel Guastella.
  • 1967–1970: Alberto Camardón, Ángel Guastella and Jorge Merelle.
  • 1971: Ángel Guastella and Eduardo Poggi.
  • 1972–1973: Ángel Guastella, Eduardo Poggi and Oscar Martínez Basante.
  • 1974: Carlos Villegas, Emilio Perasso and Jorge Merelle.
  • 1975: Eduardo Poggi and Eduardo Scahrenberg.
  • 1976–1977: Carlos Villegas and Emilio Perasso.
  • 1978: Ángel Guastella, Aitor Otaño and José L. Imhoff.
  • 1979–1980: Luis Gradín and Aitor Otaño.
  • 1981–1983: Rodolfo O'Reilly.
  • 1984: Héctor Silva and Aitor Otaño.
  • 1985–1986: Héctor Silva, Aitor Otaño and Ángel Guastella.
  • 1987: Héctor Silva and Ángel Guastella.
  • 1988–1990: Rodolfo O'Reilly and Raúl Sanz.
  • 1990–1991: Luis Gradín and Guillermo Lamarca.
  • 1992: Luis Gradín and John Hart.
  • 1993–1994: Héctor Méndez and José J. Fernández.
  • 1995: Alejandro Petra and Ricardo Paganini.
  • 1995: Alejandro Petra and Juancho Dabusti.
  • 1996: José L. Imhoff, José J. Fernández, Héctor Méndez and Alex Wyllie.
  • 1997: José Luis Imhoff, Héctor Méndez and Alex Wyllie.
  • 1998: José Luis Imhoff and Alex Wyllie.
  • 1999: José Luis Imhoff and Alex Wyllie, next Héctor Méndez and Wyllie, next Wyllie alone.
  • 2000 – 2007 : Marcelo Loffreda and Daniel Baetti.
  • 2008–present: Santiago Phelan and Fabián Turnes[1]

Individual all-time records [edit]

Most matches [edit]

# Player Pos Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
1. Lisandro Arbizu Centre 1990–2005 86 83 3 188 17 14 14 11 41 44 1 48.25
Rolando Martín Flanker 1994–2003 86 77 9 90 18 0 0 0 44 41 1 51.74
3. Mario Ledesma Hooker 1996–2011 84 67 17 15 3 0 0 0 42 41 1 50.59
4. Felipe Contepomi Fly-half 1998–2012 79 69 10 631 15 71 136 2 42 37 0 53.16
5. Pedro Sporleder Lock 1990–2003 78 72 6 70 14 0 0 0 41 36 1 53.20
6. Federico Méndez Hooker 1990–2004 73 67 6 70 14 0 0 0 33 40 0 45.20
7. Agustín Pichot Scrum-half 1995–2007 71 69 2 60 12 0 0 0 34 36 1 48.59
8. Ignacio Fernández Lobbe Lock 1996–2008 65 60 5 30 6 0 0 0 33 32 0 50.76
Omar Hasan Prop 1995–2007 65 48 17 20 4 0 0 0 34 30 1 53.07
10. Diego Cuesta Silva Centre 1983–1995 63 63 0 125 28 0 0 0 31 30 2 50.79

Last updated: France vs Argentina, 17 November 2012. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [27]

Most tries [edit]

# Player Pos Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop
1. José Núñez Piossek Wing 2001–2008 28 26 2 145 29 0 0 0
2. Diego Cuesta Silva Centre 1983–1995 63 63 0 125 28 0 0 0
3. Gustavo Jorge Wing 1989–1994 23 22 1 111 24 0 0 0
4. Rolando Martín Flanker 1994–2003 86 77 9 90 18 0 0 0
Facundo Soler Wing 1996–2002 25 23 2 90 18 0 0 0
6. Lisandro Arbizu Centre 1990–2005 86 83 3 188 17 14 14 11
Hernán Senillosa Wing 2002–2007 33 22 11 128 17 17 2 1
8. Felipe Contepomi Fly-half 1998–2012 79 69 10 631 15 71 136 2
9. 7 players on 14 tries

Last updated: France vs Argentina, 17 November 2012. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [27]

Most points [edit]

Argentina's all-time leading points scorer Felipe Contepomi
# Player Pos Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop
1. Felipe Contepomi Fly-half 1998–2012 79 69 10 631 15 71 136 2
2. Hugo Porta Fly-half 1971–1990 58 58 0 590 11 84 101 26
3. Gonzalo Quesada Fly-half 1996–2003 38 30 8 486 4 68 103 7
4. Santiago Mesón Fullback 1987–1997 34 32 2 365 8 68 63 1
5. Federico Todeschini Fly-half 1998–2008 21 16 5 256 4 37 54 0
6. Lisandro Arbizu Centre 1990–2005 86 83 3 188 17 14 14 11
7. Juan Fernández Miranda Fly-half 1997–2007 29 17 12 158 5 41 12 5
8. José Núñez Piossek Wing 2001–2008 28 26 2 145 29 0 0 0
9. José Cilley Fly-half 1994–2002 15 11 4 138 2 31 22 0
10. José Luna Wing 1995–1997 8 8 0 129 4 26 19 0

Last updated: France vs Argentina, 17 November 2012. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [27]

Most points in a match [edit]

# Player Pos Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Opposition Venue Date
1. Eduardo Morgan Wing 50 6 13 0 0  Paraguay Brazil São Paulo 14 October 1973
2. José Núñez Piossek Wing 45 9 0 0 0  Paraguay Uruguay Montevideo 27 April 2003
3. Gustavo Jorge Wing 40 8 0 0 0  Brazil Brazil São Paulo 02/10/1993
4. Martín Sansot Fullback 36 3 6 4 0  Brazil Argentina Tucumán 13 July 1996
5. José Cilley Fly-half 32 0 16 0 0  Paraguay Argentina Mendoza 01/05/2002
6. Eduardo Morgan Wing 31 3 5 3 0  Uruguay Brazil São Paulo 16 October 1973
Eduardo de Forteza Fly-half 31 0 11 3 0  Paraguay Paraguay Asunción 25 September 1975
José Luna Wing 31 1 4 6 0  Romania Argentina Buenos Aires 14 October 1995
Felipe Contepomi Fly-half 31 2 3 5 0  France Argentina Buenos Aires 26 June 2010
10. 4 players on 30 points

Last updated: France vs Argentina, 17 November 2012. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [27]

Most tries in a match [edit]

# Player Pos Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Opposition Venue Date
1. José Núñez Piossek Wing 45 9 0 0 0  Paraguay Uruguay Montevideo 27 April 2003
2. Gustavo Jorge Wing 40 8 0 0 0  Brazil Brazil São Paulo 02/10/1993
3. Uriel O'Farrell Wing 21 7 0 0 0  Uruguay Argentina Buenos Aires 9 September 1951
4. Uriel O'Farrell Wing 18 6 0 0 0  Brazil Argentina Buenos Aires 13 September 1951
Eduardo Morgan Wing 50 6 13 0 0  Paraguay Brazil São Paulo 14 October 1973
Gustavo Jorge Wing 24 6 0 0 0  Brazil Uruguay Montevideo 08/10/1989
Facundo Barrea Wing 30 6 0 0 0  Brazil Chile Santiago 23 May 2012
5 5 players on 5 tries

Last updated: France vs Argentina, 17 November 2012. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [27]

Most matches as captain [edit]

# Player Pos Span Mat Won Lost Draw % Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop
1. Lisandro Arbizu Centre 1992–2003 48 28 20 0 58.33 87 10 8 4 3
2. Hugo Porta Fly-half 1977–1990 38 15 18 5 46.05 435 2 68 77 20
3. Agustín Pichot Scrum-half 2000–2007 30 18 12 0 60.00 5 1 0 0 0
4. Felipe Contepomi Centre 2007–2012 21 10 11 0 47.61 212 4 18 51 1
5. Pedro Sporleder Lock 1996–1999 20 9 10 1 47.50 20 4 0 0 0
6. Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe Number 8 2008– 16 4 11 1 28.12 10 2 0 0 0
7. Héctor Silva Flanker 1967–1971 15 12 2 1 83.33 12 4 0 0 0
8. Sebastián Salvat Centre 1995 13 7 6 0 53.84 35 7 0 0 0
9. Marcelo Loffreda Centre 1989–1994 12 7 5 0 58.33 9 2 0 0 0
10. Aitor Otaño Lock 1964–1966 10 5 4 1 55.00 12 4 0 0 0

Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 24 November 2012. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [27]

Youngest players [edit]

# Player Pos Age Opposition Venue Date
1. Gustavo Jorge Wing 17 years and 349 days  Brazil Uruguay Montevideo 08/10/1989
2. Federico Méndez Prop 18 years and 86 days  Ireland Republic of Ireland Lansdowne Road 27 October 1990
3. Alejandro Iachetti Lock 18 years and 319 days  Uruguay Paraguay Asunción 21 September 1975
4. Eliseo Branca Lock 19 years and 26 days  Wales XV Wales Cardiff 16 October 1976
5. Lisandro Arbizu (Fly-half) 19 years and 28 days  Ireland Republic of Ireland Lansdowne Road 27 October 1990
6. Pablo Camerlinckx Number 8 19 years and 146 days  Brazil Uruguay Montevideo 08/10/1989
7. Marcelo Loffreda Centre 19 years and 150 days  England XV England Twickenham 14 October 1978
8. Gonzalo Tiesi Centre 19 years and 224 days  South Africa Argentina Buenos Aires 04/12/2004
9. Santiago Mesón Centre 19 years and 248 days  Paraguay Chile Santiago 30 September 1987
10. Pedro Sporleder Lock 19 years and 298 days  Ireland Republic of Ireland Lansdowne Road 27 October 1990

Last updated: France vs Argentina, 17 November 2012. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [27]

Oldest players [edit]

# Player Pos Age Opposition Venue Date
1. Hugo Porta Fly-half 39 years and 60 days  Scotland Scotland Murrayfield 10/11/1990
2. Mario Ledesma Hooker 38 years and 145 days  New Zealand New Zealand Auckland 09/10/2011
3. Fairy Heatlie Number 8 38 years and 48 days United Kingdom Britain XV Argentina Flores 12/06/1910
4. Omar Hasan Prop 36 years and 181 days  France France Parc de Princes 19 October 2007
5. Martín Scelzo (Prop) 35 years and 246 days  New Zealand New Zealand Auckland 09/10/2011
6. Rodrigo Roncero Prop 35 years and 233 days  Australia Argentina Rosario 06/10/2012
7. Marcelo Loffreda Centre 35 years and 151 days  South Africa South Africa Johannesburg 15 October 1994
8. Felipe Contepomi Centre 35 years and 82 days  Wales Wales Millennium Stadium 10/11/2012
9. Rolando Martín Flanker 35 years and 33 days  Ireland Australia Adelaide 26 October 2003
10. Nicolás Fernández Miranda (Centre) 34 years and 328 days  France France Parc de Princes 19 October 2007

Last updated: France vs Argentina, 17 November 2012. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [27]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c Iribarren, Ezequiel (21 February 2008). "Le buscaron pareja" (in Spanish). Clarín. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2008. 
  2. ^ "Contepomi superó a Porta y es el goleador récord", Clarín, 9 June 2012
  3. ^ a b "Contempomi, goleador histórico Puma", ESPN, 9 June 2012
  4. ^ "SANZAR invites Argentina to join the Tri Nations from 2012" (Press release). All Blacks. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 2012-08-12. 
  5. ^ "El centenario del debut", Clarín, 13 June 2010
  6. ^ a b "De festejo también, pero por el Centenario" by Jorge Búsico, La Nación, 27 May 2010
  7. ^ "England 18–25 Argentina". BBC. 11 November 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2007. 
  8. ^ Cain, Nick (25 February 2007). "Ambitious Argentina poised to secure TriNations place". The Sunday Times (London). Retrieved 26 February 2007. 
  9. ^ "Pumas will stay crouched until 2010". RugbyRugby.com. 13 August 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007. 
  10. ^ "First Test Preview: Argentina v Ireland". Irish Rugby Football Union. 25 May 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2007. 
  11. ^ "Argentina 22–20 Ireland". BBC. 26 May 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2007. 
  12. ^ "Argentina 16–0 Ireland". BBC. 2 June 2007. Archived from the original on 5 July 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2007. 
  13. ^ "Coach asks Argentina to stay calm". BBC Sport. 8 September 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2007. 
  14. ^ PA Sport (9 October 2007). "Contepomi's field of dreams". Sportal.co.nz. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007. 
  15. ^ "Rugby lays foundations for continued growth" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 2 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007. 
  16. ^ Gallagher, Brendan (13 June 2009). "Lions 2009: Argentina look for future tour While the British and Irish Lions play in front of apathetic half-empty stadiums in South Africa, Argentina look on with growing frustration and anger.". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 27 April 2010. 
  17. ^ a b "La pasión cumple 100 años", La Nación, 10 April 1999
  18. ^ "El pase del verano: Los Pumas dejan Adidas para vestirse con Nike", El Cronista, 27 November 2011
  19. ^ "Nike presenta su camiseta de Los Pumas", Prematch website
  20. ^ Davies, Sean (26 July 2007). "Puma power: Argentinian rugby". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2007. 
  21. ^ a b "Argentina > Head to Head Table". rugbydata.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2007. 
  22. ^ Record excludes match against the Barbarians as this was not a representative side.
  23. ^ Ranking archives can be found at the IRB website; www.irb.com
  24. ^ a b "World Rankings". International Rugby Board. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  25. ^ Argentina name squad for June
  26. ^ (Spanish) UAR. Entrenadores de Los Pumas de todos los Tiempos
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h [1]

External links [edit]

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