Lock Matias Alemanno will become the fifth Test centurion for Argentina when Los Pumas host Scotland in the Nations Championship on Saturday.
The 34-year-old made his Test debut in 2014 and will join a select club which includes the retired Nicolás Sánchez and Agustin Creevy, as well as flank Pablo Matera and hooker Julian Montoya, who both start this weekend’s match in Cordoba.
Alemanno, who was born in the city, will partner Guido Petti in the second row with the Harlequins forward set for his 99th Pumas appearance.
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“I’m very happy for him,” Montoya told reporters on Thursday. “It’s great for him. I don’t have the words to describe what it means.
“Hopefully we can put in a good performance for him.”
Petti is one of six players to keep his place from their last game, a 27-23 loss away to England in November 2025.
Skipper Montoya, tighthead prop Pedro Delgado, flanker Santiago Grondona, flyhalf Tomás Albornoz and winger Rodrigo Isgro are the other five.
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Faustino Sanchez Valarolo makes his first Test start with regular inside centres Santiago Chocobares and Justo Piccardo unavailable.
Toulouse’s Chocobares and Montpellier Piccardo are being rested having featured in last Saturday’s Top 14 final.
Valarolo is the only member of the match 23 playing his club rugby in Argentina, with Dogos in Super Rugby Americas.
“He’s been training very well toward his goal, and we’ve prepared him to play a great game,” coach Felipe Contepomi said of Valarolo. “I’m happy to see him there and hopefully he has an excellent match.”
ARGENTINA – 15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 9 Gonzalo García, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 7 Santiago Grondona, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matías Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Pedro Delgado, 2 Julián Montoya (c), 1 Mayco Vivas.
Bench: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Tomás Rapetti, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Joaquín Moro, 21 Agustín Moyano, 22 Matías Moroni, 23 Bautista Delguy.
– AFP
Photo: Daniel Jayo/Getty Images
The post Ton up for Los Pumas stalwart appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Lock Matias Alemanno will become the fifth Test centurion for Argentina when Los Pumas host Scotland in the Nations Championship on Saturday.
The post Ton up for Los Pumas stalwart appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
