Centre Tiesi makes Pumas comeback for European tour

Centre Gonzalo Tiesi has recovered from injury and shown good form in the Buenos Aires club championship earning a place in Argentina's squad for next month's European tour.

Tiesi, a veteran of the 2007 World Cup whose 2011 tournament in New Zealand was ended by injury in the Pumas' opening match against England, missed Argentina's debut in the southern hemisphere's inaugural Rugby Championship tournament.

But the former Harlequins and Stade Francais centre has been in fine form for San Isidro Club and was named in coach Santiago Phelan's tour squad on Tuesday.

Phelan, restricted to two players per club for each tour match, named an overall squad of 39 from which he has drawn 27 players to meet Wales in Cardiff on Nov. 10. Seven of the 39-man squad are from French club Montpellier.

The squad, who also face France in Lille on Nov. 17 and Ireland in Dublin on Nov. 24, includes most of the Rugby Championship players and promising newcomers from Argentina's under-20 team.

"We face the challenge of three more demanding matches, on tour playing as visitors. We have to keep growing as we did in the Rugby Championship albeit against other rivals... and I'm keen to do it well," Phelan said.

Phelan's team had a creditable debut in the Rugby Championship even if they failed to register a win in their six matches.

Notable absentees from the squad are prop Rodrigo Roncero, who retired after playing his last match in Argentina's 25-19 defeat by Australia in Rosario on Oct. 6, and injured fullback Martin Rodriguez.

Argentina squad for Wales match:

Forwards: Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Toulon, captain), Leonardo Senatore (Gimnasia Rosario), Juan Manuel Leguizamon (Lyon), Tomas Leonardi (SIC), Julio Farias Cabello (Tucuman), Tomas de la Vega (CUBA), Patricio Albacete (Toulouse), Manuel Carizza (Jockey Club Rosario), Marcos Ayerza (Leicester Tigers), Agustin Creevy (Montpellier), Juan Figallo (Montpellier), Eusebio Guinazu (unaffiliated), Bruno Postiglioni (La Plata), Francisco Gomez Codela (Biarritz)

Backs: Joaquin Tuculet (Grenoble), Santiago Cordero (Regatas Bella Vista), Horacio Agulla (Bath), Juan Jose Imhoff (Racing Metro), Manuel Montero (Pucara), Gonzalo Camacho (Exeter), Marcelo Bosch (Biarritz), Gonzalo Tiesi (SIC), Juan Martin Hernandez (Racing Metro), Nicolas Sanchez (Bordeaux-Begles), Nicolas Vergallo (Toulouse), Martin Landajo (CASI), Tomas Cubelli (Belgrano Athletic).