Argentina head coach Michael Cheika has named his 33-man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The squad features a blend of experience and youth, with captain Julián Montoya and Pablo Matera both returning after missing the 2019 World Cup. There are also first call-ups for Lautaro Bazán Vélez and Rodrigo Isgro.
Bazán Vélez is a young scrum-half who has been in impressive form for the Jaguares, while Isgro is a versatile back who can play at wing or fullback.
The squad is as follows:
Forwards:
- Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Stade Français)
- Francisco Gómez Kodela (London Irish)
- Joel Sclavi (Newcastle Falcons)
- Thomas Gallo (Benetton Rugby)
- Eduardo Bello (Stade Français)
- Julián Montoya (captain, Leicester Tigers)
- Agustín Creevy (Montpellier)
- Ignacio Ruiz (London Irish)
- Matías Alemanno (Sale Sharks)
- Tomás Lavanini (Exeter Chiefs)
- Guido Petti (Bordeaux-Bègles)
- Facundo Isa (Toulouse)
- Pablo Matera (Lyon)
- Juan Martín González Samso (Newcastle Falcons)
- Santiago Grondona (London Irish)
- Marcos Kremer (Stade Français)
- Rodrigo Bruni (Lyon)
- Pedro Rubiolo (Benetton Rugby)
Backs:
- Gonzalo Bertranou (Lyon)
- Tomás Cubelli (Bordeaux-Bègles)
- Lautaro Bazán Vélez (Jaguares)
- Santiago Carreras (Gloucester)
- Nicolás Sánchez (Montpellier)
- Santiago Chocobares (Stade Français)
- Lucio Cinti (Newcastle Falcons)
- Jeronimo de la Fuente (Toulouse)
- Matías Moroni (Montpellier)
- Emiliano Boffelli (Benetton Rugby)
- Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse)
- Mateo Carreras (Gloucester)
- Juan Imhoff (Racing 92)
Argentina are drawn in Pool D alongside England, Japan, Samoa and the Chile.
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They will begin their campaign against England in Marseille on September 9, 2023.
Cheika said: “We are excited to announce our squad for the Rugby World Cup. It is a talented group of players who have worked hard to earn their selection.
“We have a challenging pool but we are confident in our ability to compete and win. We are looking forward to the tournament and giving it our best.”
Argentina are one of the favorites to win the Rugby World Cup in 2023. They have a strong squad with a good mix of experience and youth. They will be looking to go one step further than their last World Cup campaign, when they lost to South Africa in the final in 2019.
The squad features a number of experienced players who will be key to Argentina’s chances, including Montoya, Matera, and Sánchez. There are also a number of exciting young players in the squad, such as Bazán Vélez, Isgro, and Carreras.
Argentina will be hoping to make a deep run at the World Cup and challenge for the title. They have a tough pool to navigate, but they have the talent and experience to do so.
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