Felipe Contepomi will play against Argentina

There has been a lot of concern about the preperation of Los Pumas for The Rugby Championship with criticism directed at European clubs due to players fielded for Argentina´s June internationals against Italy and France. Argentine headcoach, Santiago Phelan, rested 24 players with them all being given time off to recover after a long season of club rugby in Europe and, before that, Rugby World Cup 2011. As such Felipe Contepomi captained a team made up of fringe players while the country´s leading players were on vacation. Overall, the home series was a success as Phelan was able to unearth some potentially exciting players for the future and Argentina won its first two test before being badly beaten by France in Tucumán.
Contepomi played all three tests in the inside centre position with Ignacio Mieres playing the first two matches at flyhalf and Benjamin
Urdapilleta playing the third. None of these players, however, will feature in The Rugby Championship. Instead, Phelan has selected Nicolás
Sánchez, Santiago Fernández and a returning Juan Martín Hernández. The trio all play their rugby in the Top 14 like Contepomi and one of them will likely go up against Contepomi next month as Argentina is to complete its preperation for The Rugby Championship by taking on Stade Français in two friendly matches in Argentina. It is probable that Phelan will use the matches to play his starting XV with Hernández
likely to start at flyhalf and thus face off against his former captain, Contepomi.
The matches will be played on August 04 and 10. The first match will take place in Buenos Aires at a yet to be confirmed venue. The second will be played in Santa Fé. The matches will also be a send off for Los Pumas who, the following week, will take on South Africa in Cape Town in what will be Argentina´s debut appearance in The Rugby Championship.

How did Mieres play over the Summer? He was brilliant for Chiefs last season, do you think he'll feature much for Argentina in the future? Really good player in my opinion, popular guy at the chiefs as well!

Mieres had two good tests in what was essentially a 3rd/4th team that the Pumas put out. However with him at 10 they still beat a first choice Italian side comfortably and shocked a first choice France side (though missing perhaps 5 1st choice players). The game Mieres didn't play, the Pumas were hammered.

Contepomi took the kicking at goal duties but Mieres kicking out of hand was on the whole good.

With Contepomi now retiring, Mieres finds himself 3rd choice 10 for the Pumas (behind Juan Martin Hernandez and Nicolas Sanchez) but has failed to make the Rugby Championship squad because they have gone with Santiago Fernandez (probably first choice 12) who can also cover 10 and Marcelo Bosch (probably on the bench) who can also cover 10.

What a great send off for Contepomi to play against his country for Stade.

Strange that they've chosen Sanchez ahead of Mieres, i've never heard of him or seen him play.

Thanks JAM204, excellent summary!

Suits me gowales, i'd (selfishly) rather see him turn out for Chiefs!

gowales - if you watch the Top 14, you would have heard of him. Sanchez 10 for Bordeaux. He was also in RWC squad and is a young 10 with lots of ability.

Fernandez (who will start 12) also ahead of Mieres at 10. He played 10 at the RWC with Contepomi at 12 and switches between 10 and 12 for Montpellier.

Mieres will have another chance to push on next June Internationals.

Argie Fan - do you have any more news on the Stade games - where they will be played etc?

Good to see Hernandez back in action

JAM204 wrote:
Argie Fan - do you have any more news on the Stade games - where they will be played etc?

The Argentine rugby team, the Pumas, will play Stade Francais on 4 August in Buenos Aires, at Velez Sarsfield Stadium and 10 of the same month in Santa Fe, at Colón stadium as part of their preparation for Rugby Championship to be held in South Africa.
After playing these two friendlies against Galo team, led by Santiago Phelan's travel to South Africa waiting for his debut against the Springboks RugbyChampionship on 18 August in Cape Town.