The Argentina U20 rugby team, known as Los Pumitas, faces Australia this Friday in the World Rugby U20 Championship, competing for seventh place in the tournament. The match will take place at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia, with kickoff scheduled for 11:00 AM (Argentina time) and live coverage provided by ESPN and Disney+.
Argentina’s Path to the Seventh-Place Match
Los Pumitas entered the final stage of the tournament following a challenging run in the group and knockout phases. The team began their campaign with a dominant 78–14 victory over the United States, followed by a 62–40 win against Ireland. However, their momentum stalled in the final group match, where they suffered a narrow 40–38 defeat to England.
This loss relegated the squad to the fifth-place semifinals, where they were defeated by Scotland 44–26. Under the guidance of head coach Nicolás Fernández Miranda, the team now aims to conclude their international campaign on a positive note against the Australian side.
Tournament Officiating and Global Representation
The final match of the tournament, featuring France and South Africa, will include an Argentine presence among the officials. Gonzalo de Achával has been appointed as an assistant referee for the championship final. He will work alongside Australian referee Reuben Keane and English assistant referee George Selwood to officiate the deciding match.
Los Pumitas Squad for Australia
Coach Fernández Miranda has selected the following roster for the final match:
Starting XV
- Forwards: Benjamín Farías Cerioni, Manuel Cúneo Camargo, Bautista Salinas Mallea, Joaquín Pascual Viale, Bautista Benavides, Tomás Dande (captain), Jerónimo Sorondo, Basilio Cañas.
- Backs: Juan Preumayr, Federico Serpa, Benjamín Ledesma Arocena, Pedro Coll (vice-captain), Ramón Fernández, Bautista Lescano, Simón Pfister.
Replacements
- Nicolás Cambiasso, Laureano Valle, Federico Narváez, Tiziano Rocha, Franco Marizza, Valentino Reggiardo, Manuel Giannantonio, Tomás Canedo.
The fixture serves as the definitive closing point for Argentina’s participation in the Tbilisi-hosted tournament, providing the squad one final opportunity to secure a victory on the global stage.
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