Latest news with #FelipeContepomi
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Felipe Contepomi on Leinster success, Johnny Sexton's coaching and ‘unlucky' Sam Prendergast
Felipe Contepomi alighted on familiar touchstones, gently directed to matters Leinster , Leo Cullen , Johnny Sexton , Sam Prendergast and Irish rugby during a press conference to announce the Argentina team for Friday night's Test match against the Lions at the Aviva Stadium (8pm). While it would be overstating matters a tad to suggest that it's a game between two scratch sides, Argentina are without a host of the French-based players including Toulouse trio Juan Cruz Malliá, Santiago Chocobares and Efrain Elias, Bordeaux's Guido Petti and Facundo Bosch, along with Rodrigo Bruni, Matteo Carreras, Bautista Delguy, Marcus Kremer and Facundo Isa to highlight another half-dozen absentees. Centre Justo Piccardo will make his debut while three of the bench share those circumstances. but for the Irish media contingent Contepomi's thoughts on a number of parochial matters superseded any chat about Friday night's game. Leinster's head coach Cullen rocked up to the Pumas training on Tuesday, a chance to catch up for the former team-mates and friends, who worked with the province in a coaching capacity too. Contepomi would still have skin in the game emotionally when it comes to Leinster. READ MORE He pushed back a little when it was suggested that the URC title win at Croke Park ended a four-year cycle of disappointment. 'Yeah, well, depending on how you see the disappointment, you know, playing finals, every season, I don't see it as a disappointing season. 'Maybe it's a disappointing day, you know, when you lose a final, but the season probably, it's a good season. I feel lucky Leo came yesterday to our training, so I caught up with him. I still keep in contact with him, and I'm delighted for Leinster. 'To get that silverware, more so to because they were the best team throughout the season and I think they were the best team last year [too], but they didn't win it. It's good to have silverware. Some players who contributed a lot are leaving, it's very good for them to leave with a medal.' Contepomi was asked about two Leinster outhalves, Prendergast the incumbent in the 10 jersey, and his predecessor, Sexton, who has taken up a coaching role with the Lions and will fulfil a similar role with Ireland later in the year. 'I think Sam was lurking around in the academy before I left. I could see his talent coming through, I didn't have to be a rugby brain to detect that he was a talented player. I think he's very talented. It's probably debatable and [he's] probably unlucky to have to miss out [on] the Lions, but he's a very young player and he will have a lot of opportunities. Leinster outhalf Sam Prendergast missed out on the Lions tour. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho 'The Lions from what I recall, they never finished with the same [number of players], whatever 40 something players they have, they never finished the tour with the same [number] who started. So, you need to be ready and I'm sure he's on the fringe of that. So, I don't know, I'm just assuming, right? I don't have inside information.' So was Contepomi surprised that Sexton has grabbed a whistle and tracksuit so quickly after bringing his playing career to an end? The Argentinian smiled: 'I don't know if surprised, I'm delighted. I think he needed to go into rugby. 'He has a good rugby brain, a very good rugby brain and I'm sure that he will have very good mentors there. He knows [Andy] Farrell, he knows a lot of the staff, and I'm sure that he will get the most out of that experience. 'I think Irish rugby has improved massively in the last 20 years. They have got a really good balance on developing young players and having the home talent. 'Obviously, they could have a few talents from abroad like Lowey [James Lowe], [Jamison] Gibson-Park and Bundee [Aki], they have bought into the Irish culture very well. I think Ireland has been doing the right things on and off the pitch.' Friday night's game poses a series of questions for the respective head coaches but it's one that Contepomi is happy to embrace. 'In in our case we haven't been together for seven months and getting together in two training sessions with a lot of new faces. It's been a challenge, but the guys have been magnificent. 'They made a lot of effort to grab all that new information. There was a good adaptation. We will see in the game, but we are very pleased with how they adapted to the first week in terms of the newcomers. 'In terms of preparing a game against a team that you don't know what they will fire [at us], for us it is very good because we need to focus on us. It's been good to really focus on what we want to do, how we want to do it, for them to start understanding the habits that we want to instil in our group.' ARGENTINA: Santiago Carreras; Rodrigo Isgró, Lucio Cinti, Justo Piccardo, Ignacio Mendy; Tomás Albornoz, Gonzalo García; Mayco Vivas, Julian Montoya (capt), Joel Sclavi; Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo; Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo. Replacements: Bautista Bernasconi , Boris Wenger, Francisco Coria Marchetti, Santiago Grondona, Joaquin Moro, Simón Benitez Cruz, Matias Moroni, Santiago Cordero.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Montoya to lead Argentina against Lions
British and Irish Lions v ArgentinaVenue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Friday, 20 June Kick-off: 20:00 BSTCoverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, and updates on BBC Radio 5 Live Argentina have named a strong team to face the British and Irish Lions in Dublin on Friday night, with hooker Julian Montoya captaining the Pumas, six days after losing the Premiership final with Carreras, who will move to Bath from Gloucester this summer, is at full-back with Tomas Albornoz at flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez is part of a back row completed by the experienced Pablo Matera and Perpignan number eight Joaquin Pumas are without several of their France-based players with Toulouse's versatile back Juan Cruz Mallia and Bordeaux-Begles second row Guido Petti involved in the Top 14 Thomas Gallo is also absent. ——————————————————— Argentina: Carreras; Isgro, Cinti, Piccardo, Mendy; Albornoz, Garcia; Vivas, Montoya (c), Sclavi, Molina, Rubiolo, Matera, Gonzalez, OviedoReplacements: Bernasconi, Wenger, Coria Marchetti, Grondona. S, Moro, Benitez Cruz, Moroni, Cordero ——————————————————— "We haven't been together for seven months and now getting together with lots of new faces it has been a challenge, but the guys have been magnificent," said head coach Felipe Contepomi."They are training with a lot of intensity, we are very pleased with how they adapted."The former Leinster playmaker said that the difficulty in predicting the Lions' line-up and approach to the game had simplified his approach."For us it is very good, because we needed to focus on us and what we want to do and how we want to do it," he added."And then we expect the best of the best from the British Isles, we know all their players and we expect them to be playing hard."They miss some cohesion or maybe not because they are such top players they can click in one moment."Argentina are ranked fifth in the world and took three wins from their six matches in last year's Rugby Lions will name their team at 14:00 BST. Head coach Andy Farrell will be without Mallia's Toulouse team-mate Blair Kinghorn, but is likely to ask several of his squad to, like Montoya, pull off a six-day turnaround from domestic Leinster trio of Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Furlong and Hugo Keenan all missed Leinster's United Rugby Championship win over the Bulls on Saturday and will be given more time to recover from playing Argentina, the Lions will fly to Perth and take on the Western Force in their first tour game on 28 June.
CNA
6 hours ago
- Sport
- CNA
Argentina bring in several new faces for Lions clash in Dublin
Argentina have named a much-changed line-up with a first start for centre Justo Piccardo in their one-off test against the British & Irish Lions in Dublin on Friday, and three potential debutants off the bench. Coach Felipe Contepomi has taken the opportunity to blood several new players in the matchday 23, though the side will be led by an old hand in hooker Julian Montoya. Tomas Albornoz has been selected at flyhalf and forms the halfback pairing with Gonzalo Garcia, while Piccardo and Lucio Cinti are the centres. The back three contains wings Ignacio Mendy and Rodrigo Isgro, and fullback Santiago Carreras. The front row sees props Mayco Vivas and Joel Sclavi pack down either side of Montoya. France Molina and Pedro Rubiolo are the lock pairing, while number 8 Joaquin Oviedo is in the back row with loose-forwards Pablo Matera and Juan Martin Gonzalez. Contepomi has chosen a 5-3 split between forwards and backs on the bench. Hooker Bautista Bernasconi, prop Boris Wenger and scrumhalf Simon Benitez Cruz could all debut. "It is a challenge with a lot of new faces and just a few training sessions together. But the guys have made a lot of effort to take on the new information," Contepomi told reporters on Wednesday. "We are very pleased with how the newcomers have prepared in this first week. We have focused on ourselves and what we want to instil in the group, we know the Lions will be a big challenge." Argentina team: 1. Mayco Vivas, 2. Julian Montoya (captain), 3. Joel Sclavi, 4. Franco Molina, 5. Pedro Rubiolo, 6. Pablo Matera, 7. Juan Martín Gonzalez, 8. Joaquin Oviedo, 9. Gonzalo García, 10. Tomas Albornoz, 11. Ignacio Mendy, 12. Justo Piccardo, 13. Lucio Cinti, 14. Rodrigo Isgro, 15. Santiago Carreras. Replacements: 16. Bautista Bernasconi, 17. Boris Wenger, 18. Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19. Santiago Grondona, 20. Joaquín Moro, 21. Simón Benitez Cruz, 22. Matias Moroni, 23. Santiago Cordero.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Argentina bring in several new faces for Lions clash in Dublin
June 18 (Reuters) - Argentina have named a much-changed line-up with a first start for centre Justo Piccardo in their one-off test against the British & Irish Lions in Dublin on Friday, and three potential debutants off the bench. Coach Felipe Contepomi has taken the opportunity to blood several new players in the matchday 23, though the side will be led by an old hand in hooker Julian Montoya. Tomas Albornoz has been selected at flyhalf and forms the halfback pairing with Gonzalo Garcia, while Piccardo and Lucio Cinti are the centres. The back three contains wings Ignacio Mendy and Rodrigo Isgro, and fullback Santiago Carreras. The front row sees props Mayco Vivas and Joel Sclavi pack down either side of Montoya. France Molina and Pedro Rubiolo are the lock pairing, while number 8 Joaquin Oviedo is in the back row with loose-forwards Pablo Matera and Juan Martin Gonzalez. Contepomi has chosen a 5-3 split between forwards and backs on the bench. Hooker Bautista Bernasconi, prop Boris Wenger and scrumhalf Simon Benitez Cruz could all debut. "It is a challenge with a lot of new faces and just a few training sessions together. But the guys have made a lot of effort to take on the new information," Contepomi told reporters on Wednesday. "We are very pleased with how the newcomers have prepared in this first week. We have focused on ourselves and what we want to instil in the group, we know the Lions will be a big challenge." Argentina team: 1. Mayco Vivas, 2. Julian Montoya (captain), 3. Joel Sclavi, 4. Franco Molina, 5. Pedro Rubiolo, 6. Pablo Matera, 7. Juan Martín Gonzalez, 8. Joaquin Oviedo, 9. Gonzalo García, 10. Tomas Albornoz, 11. Ignacio Mendy, 12. Justo Piccardo, 13. Lucio Cinti, 14. Rodrigo Isgro, 15. Santiago Carreras. Replacements: 16. Bautista Bernasconi, 17. Boris Wenger, 18. Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19. Santiago Grondona, 20. Joaquín Moro, 21. Simón Benitez Cruz, 22. Matias Moroni, 23. Santiago Cordero.
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'This is once in your life' - Carreras eyes Lions upset
British and Irish Lions v ArgentinaVenue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Friday, 20 June Kick-off: 20:00 BSTCoverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, and updates on BBC Radio 5 Live Santiago Carreras is preparing for a match 20 years in the Argentina, who are not part of the British and Irish Lions touring rotation, the scarcity value of Friday's fixture in Dublin is sky high."You might play this game once in your life - it is so special," the 27-year-old tells BBC Sport."Everyone in the team is looking forward to it."The last big-cat tear-up between the Lions and Pumas was back in 2005, when a last-gasp Jonny Wilkinson penalty spared the New Zealand-bound tourists defeat and secured a 25-25 colour television - the handful of other meetings between the two teams were before even colour photography was much of a though, have Argentina had such a good chance of current crop of Pumas are ranked fifth in the have beaten three of the four teams above them in the past 12 the only higher-ranked team to avoid recent defeat against Argentina, were pushed all the way in November in their most recent visit to Dublin's Aviva the Lions are still pulling together their squad, with a number - most noticeably the 12-strong Leinster contingent - involved in last weekend's domestic Carreras says there is more to come under the leadership of Felipe Contepomi, who captained the 2005 Argentina side to that draw in Cardiff, and took over as head coach from Michael Cheika after a run to the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-finals."I think we are still building our game and our culture," said Carreras."We showed a really good face on the field over the past year."The most similar thing [between Cheika and Contepomi] is the mindset to win and to play."We want to back ourselves to play and do the things we talk about."The mindset of the group internally is really competitive - that is the best thing." Eleven of the 32-strong Argentina squad preparing for the Lions, including Carreras, have sharpened their skills in England's Premiership this Julian Montoya, who will head to Pau this summer, is at the end of a five-season stay with Juan Martin Gonzalez and centre Lucio Cinti are at Saracens, while Rodrigo Isgro is across London at row Pedro Rubiolo will join full-back Benjamin Elizalde and back-row brothers Benjamin and Santiago Grondona at Bristol next season."All of us are in contact, week by week," says Carreras."They are like the second family here. I am really close with the guys in Bristol and we all try to stick together because we are so far away from home. We share a lot of time together."Barbeque is difficult because of the weather! The weather and the food as a whole are so different - I don't want to say it is better in Argentina, but actually it is!"But the people here are really nice - that is the most important thing. When you are part of an environment in the club and the people make me feel like I am at home, that is the best part of it."Next season home will not be Kingsholm, though - Carreras is swapping Gloucester for Premiership champions Bath. "It is tough," says Carreras of his move. "You never want to leave a place where you feel good and welcome, and I really feel part of Gloucester and love everyone there and the club."It will be sad to leave Gloucester, but it is life. I think it is time for a new challenge for me at Bath and I am really looking forward to it."Everyone at Bath is a class player - the forward pack is almost international level - and it is a challenge for me to be part of that group and keep pushing my own level around them."His new club team-mates created Twickenham memories last weekend, winning Bath's first domestic title in 29 already has his in November 2022, he scored a try in Argentina's 30-29 win over England at the tail-end of the Eddie Jones era - their second victory at the home of English summer, the Pumas will aim for a first series win over England as head coach Steve Borthwick takes a team missing their British and Irish Lions stars on a two-Test tour of the country."It will be a good challenge to play England," says Carreras."That memory of playing against them in November is a really special one. It was a special day."Argentina, who routinely stage training camps at London's Lensbury facility, are, like their players, making a home in final match of their Rugby Championship campaign this year - a meeting with world champions South Africa - will be staged at the Allianz Stadium on 4 October."We are not used to playing away from South Africa and Argentina, but hopefully it will be a good opportunity to win the game and Championship," says Pumas are hunting big games - and big upsets - throughout 2025.
