The Pumitas, in the elite. A new challenge for Argentine rugby: the Under 20 Rugby Championship is born

by times news cr

A new challenge emerges on the horizon rugby Argentinian. The factory that produces cracks has a new instrument with which it can build a brighter future. With the creation of the Pumitas debut in opposition to England in Group C of the event
– 2024-06-28 22:35:04″>Rugby Championship M20
players of developmental age will receive an unprecedented dose of experience, vital in their training and which will also allow them to arrive better prepared for the World Cup in their category.

This is a new annual competition, in the image and likeness of the senior Rugby Championship, which the selected teams will begin to play this year. under 20 years old of the southern powers: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia y Argentina. A decisive step that begins to clear up a pending account that the region historically had in relation to the competition deficit it suffered for this category: while The European elite has had its M20 Six Nations for 20 yearsthe Southern Hemisphere had to settle for the Youth World Cup.

Organized by Sanzaarthe new competition has some structural differences compared to the senior Rugby Championship, which has been taking place since 2012. Instead of round-trip matches in alternate venues, each team will play three gamesone against each rival, in a tournament of 11 days focused in a single location. Even so, it still represents a huge quality jump. On this occasion, the host town will be Sunshine Coastnorth of Brisbane, state of Queensland, the most rugby-friendly region of Australia along with Sydney.

“It helps us realize where we want to compete,” says Álvaro Galindo, coach of the Pumitas and former member of the Pumas, about the tournament.Fabian Marelli

Directed for the second consecutive year by Alvaro Galindowho they accompany on the coaching staff Rooster Álvarez Quiñones y Carlos Mohapp, The Pumitas have been in Australia for a week preparing for the debutwhich will be in the early morning of Thursday of Argentina, at 6, before the local team, with television by ESPN (two hours before the competition will be inaugurated by the New Zealanders and the South Africans, with transmission by Star+). After the ninth place in which the team finished in the World Youth Championship in South Africa last year, the coach from Tucuman tries to capitalize on that experience and enhance it in this competition.

“The Rugby Championship can mark a before and after in the preparation and development of this group of players”highlighted the coach for THE NATION. “It helps us realize where we want to compete and at what level we are at this stage of development. It will be important to have a good first experience and that the contest is sustained over time. For us there is no better situation. It is very high-level rugby.”

2023 was new for the process of molding elite Argentine rugby players, since it was the first year in which there were two professional franchises in the country, which were populated primarily with promising young players. A majority of the Pumitas squad that starred in the World Cup was made up of players from Dogos XV, mainly, and from Pampas. Although this gave them friction and competitiveness at a higher level and professional habits, at the same time it dynamited the team’s preparation on the way to the big event, since its members were dedicated to the franchises until two weeks before the World Cup.

“We have just been living with franchises for two years and we are looking for a way to make better use of the professional structures of the UAR”explained Galindo, who played 15 test matches for the Pumas between 2004 and 2012 and was left out of the 2011 New Zealand World Cup due to a last-minute injury. “Last year we had done a hybrid with the franchises and we had the unexpected luck that many ended up playing a lot of minutes in Dogos, but we arrived at the World Cup without ever having an ideal team on the field. This year we learned, we changed it and made another model, where the selected one has priority”.

Between the 31 players called up To the Rugby Championship M20 there are eight who participated in the 2023 World Cup, among them, the Cordoba player Efrain Eliaswho also acts in Dogos XV and will be the captain. Total, 16 had participation in the franchiseseither as permanent members or as guests.

“There is a base of guys who were there last year who come with experience of playing at this level, plus a lot of new guys. We have a great group, both as players and as people,” confided the captain, trained in Jockey Cordoba and a revelation in the 2023 Super Rugby Americas. “It is a very good, very strong group. We try to dominate on the court and in all aspects of the game. We want to compete as equals with anyone and play face to face with the three rivals.”

The Pumitas, in the elite.  A new challenge for Argentine rugby: the Under 20 Rugby Championship is born
“We have a great group, both as players and as people,” highlights Efraín Elías, who states that the Argentine team intends to “compete on equal terms” with the New Zealanders, the Australians and the South Africans.Fabian Marelli

The URBA clubs account for the majority of those called up, with 14 emerging from their ranks. Another seven come from Córdoba; six, from Mendoza; two, from Paraná; one, from Rosario, and the remaining, from Tucumán. “One of the characteristics of this team is that we have big players. For the first time we have four players over 2 meters and first lines of an important size. It’s something to get a return on,” Galindo said. “Like every Argentine team, I would like him to be solid in defense, who felt that facet as a strength, with the power to recover balls and not let the rival advance. The size of the forwards gives us an opportunity in the short game and fixed formations, and we have good-sized backs who can unbalance with speed and one-on-one; We want to put them in a position to attack with spaces. In the youth teams we usually err on the side of playing too much. We have players with experience in first class, which allows us to aspire to form a team that knows how to stand on the field, that knows when to play with the foot, that knows when to attack, when to open the ball with its hands,” the coach explained.

The first six M20 World Cups organized by World Rugby were won by teams from the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand took the top five; South Africa, the sixth. But Europe took six of the next eight. England won three, as did France (the last three), against two of the Baby Blacks. With the Rugby Championship M20, the aim is for the southern hemisphere to regain preponderance in the category.

“The Rugby Championship M20 is an exciting investment and development strategy that will provide a clearer pathway for younger players into international rugby and provide a springboard to the World Youth Championship, which is currently absent,” said Brendan Morris, CEO of Sanzaar. . “This exposure to international matches against top-quality opposition can only benefit the players in terms of experience and adaptation to the demands of high-performance rugby.”

Pumitas ball and contact exercises, with a view to the nascent Rugby Championship for under 20s.
Pumitas ball and contact exercises, with a view to the nascent Rugby Championship for under 20s.Fabian Marelli

After the debut this Thursday against the Australians, on the second date the Argentines will face New Zealand on Tuesday the 7th, at 4, and will close their participation on Sunday the 12th starting at 0.30, against South Africa. Among the figures that appear, in addition to the aforementioned Elías, the pillar appears Marcos Camerlinckxel fullback Benjamin Elizalde and the center Franco Rossetto.

For Argentina, The priority in this training stage is not in the resultsbut in the development of players who have potential to wear, in the medium term, the shirt of the Pumas. For example, of the 34 participants in the France 2023 World Cup, only two did not go through the Pumitas (Rodrigo Bruni and Martín Bogado). The nascent Rugby Championship M20, then, in addition to being an objective in itself and an unbeatable test for the World Cup, which will take place again in South Africa (from June 29 to July 19), is a great platform in the training of the future Pumas.

Lock Macpherson is the captain of the youth Wallabies, the first opponent of the Pumitas in the competition that will be a single round and in a single venue, the Australian Sunshine Coast.
Lock Macpherson is the captain of the youth Wallabies, the first opponent of the Pumitas in the competition that will be a single round and in a single venue, the Australian Sunshine Coast.COMMON

The Argentine formation vs. Australia

15. Elizalde, Benjamín (French, Tigres)

14. Rossetto, Franco (Estudiantes)

13. Sánchez Valarolo, Faustino (Palermo Bajo)

12. Bocco, Thomas (Cordova Athletic)

11. Soler Filloy, Valentín (Tala)

10. From Lucca, Santino (La Plata)

9. Di Biase, Tomás (French)

7. Fernández de Oliveira, Santos (SIC)

8. Bernasconi, Juan Pedro (La Plata)

6. Penoucos, Juan (Belgrano)

5. Ephraim, Elías (Jockey Córdoba)

4. García Iandolino, Álvaro (Los Tordos)

3. Rapetti, Tomás (Alumni)

2. Vivas, Juan Manuel (Los Tordos)

1. Correa, Diego (Students)

Substitutes

23. Silva, Timoteo (SIC)

22. Fossati, Mateo (Belgrano)

21. Podesta, Genaro (Marist)

20. Rossi, Julián (Liceo)

19. Asevedo, Luciano (High School)

18. Galván, Gael (Pucará)

17. Gargallo Bazán, Gonzalo (Córdoba)

16. Camerlinckx, Marcos (Bella Vista Regattas)

The rest of the squad

  • Barrios, Alejandro (Duendes)
  • Medina, Tomás (Cardinals)
  • Pérez Pardo, Gregorio (SIC)
  • Rodríguez, Estanislao (Marista RC)
  • Rodríguez, Facundo (Jockey Córdoba)
  • Sarelli, Agustín (Marist)
  • Torrado, Ignacio (ALMOST)
  • Wagener, Antonio (Alumni)

The fixture (Argentine time)

Thursday May 2

  • 4 New Zealand vs. South Africa
  • 6 Australia vs. Argentina

Mars 7

  • 4 Argentina vs. New Zealand
  • 6 Australia vs. South Africa

Domingo 12

  • 0.30 Argentina vs. South Africa
  • 2.30 Australia vs. New Zealand

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