# 2008 Argentina rugby union tour

The 2008 Argentina rugby union tour of Europe was a series of matches played in November 2008 in Europe by the Argentina national team. Coached by Santiago Phelan, the Argentine national side toured on France, Italy and Ireland playing a total of three matches thereof. Argentina beat Italy and lost to France and Ireland.

## Touring party
### Coaching staff

* Head coach: Santiago Phelan
* Assistant coach: Fabián Turnes
* Assistant coach: Marcelo Reggiardo

### Players

* Horacio Agulla (Brive)
* Patricio Albacete (Stade Toulousain)
* Rimas Álvarez Kairelis (Perpignan)
* Miguel Avramovic (Montauban)
* Marcos Ayerza (Leicester Tigers)
* Nicolás Bruzzone (San Isidro Club)
* Alejandro Campos (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
* Rafael Carballo (Castres Olympique)
* Mauro Comuzzi (Pucará)
* Felipe Contepomi (Leinster) (captain)
* Martín Durand (Champagnat)
* Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Sale Sharks)
* Santiago Fernandez (Hindú)
* Juan Figallo (Jockey Club Salta)
* Agustin Figuerola (C.A. San Isidro)
* Mariano Galarza (Universitario LP)
* Álvaro Galindo (Racing Metro)
* Eusebio Guiñazú (Agen)
* Juan Martín Hernández (Stade Francais)
* Mario Ledesma (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
* Juan Manuel Leguizamón (Stade Francais)
* Francisco Leonelli (Saracens)
* Esteban Lozada (Toulon)
* Federico Martín Aramburú (Dax)
* Juan Pablo Orlandi (Rovigo)
* Rodrigo Roncero (Stade Francais)
* Bernardo Stortoni (Glasgow Warriors)
* Gonzalo Tiesi (Harlequins)
* Nicolas Vergallo (Dax)
* Alberto Vernet Basualdo (Stade Toulousain)

## Match summary

| Date | Rival | Score | Venue | City |
| 8 Nov | France | 6–12 | Vélodrome | Marseille |
| 15 Nov | Italy | 22–14 | Olympic Stadium | Turin |
| 22 Nov | Ireland | 3–17 | Croke Park | Dublin |

## Match details

* 8 November 2008
| France | 12–6 | Argentina |
| Pen: Skrela 29', 79', Baby 32' Drop: Skrela 11' | Report | Pen: Contempomi 27' 36' |
* Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 57.000 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Team details :
| France | | Argentina |
| 72' Maxime Medard | FB | 15 | FB | Bernardo Stortoni |
| Julien Malzieu | W | 14 | W | Francisco Leonelli |
| Yannick Jauzion | C | 13 | C | Gonzalo Tiesi 41' |
| Benoit Baby | C | 12 | C | Felipe Contepomi (capt.) |
| Cédric Heymans | W | 11 | W | Horacio Agulla |
| David Skrela | FH | 10 | FH | Juan Martín Hernández |
| 72' Jean-Baptiste Élissalde | SH | 9 | SH | Nicolas Vergallo |
| 68' Louis Picamoles | N8 | 8 | N8 | Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe |
| Imanol Harinordoquy | F | 7 | F | Álvaro Galindo 50' |
| Thierry Dusautoir | F | 6 | F | Martín Durand 32' to 36' |
| 56' (capt.) Lionel Nallet | L | 5 | L | Patricio Albacete |
| Romain Millo-Chluski | L | 4 | L | Rimas Álvarez Kairelis 67' to 68' |
| 47' Benoit Lecouls | P | 3 | P | Juan Pablo Orlandi 58' |
| 54' Dimitri Szarzewski | H | 2 | H | Mario Ledesma |
| Fabien Barcella | P | 1 | P | Rodrigo Roncero |
| | | Replacements | | |
| 54' Benjamin Kayser | H | 16 | | Alberto Vernet Basualdo |
| 47' Nicolas Mas | P | 17 | P | Marcos Ayerza 58' |
| 56' Sébastien Chabal | L | 18 | F | Esteban Lozada 50' |
| 68' Fulgence Ouedraogo | N8 | 19 | F | Alejandro Campos 32-36 and 67'-68' |
| 72' Morgan Parra | SH | 20 | | Agustin Figuerola |
| Damien Traille | | 21 | C | Federico Martín Aramburú 41' |
| 72' Alexis Palisson | FB | 22 | | Rafael Carballo |
| | | Coaches | | |
| Marc Lièvremont | | | | Santiago Phelan |
* 15 November 2008
| Italy | 14–22 | Argentina |
| Try: Masi 79' Pen: Marcato 30', 54' Drop: Marcato 45' | Report | Try: Carballo 51' Con: Contemponi 51' Pen: Contepomi 25', 39', 40', 44', 75' |
* Olympic Stadium, Turin Attendance: 28.000 Referee: Chris White (England)
Team details :
| Italy | | Argentina |
| Andrea Masi | FB | 15 | FB | Bernardo Stortoni |
| Kaine Robertson | W | 14 | W | Federico Martín Aramburú 75' |
| Matteo Pratichetti | C | 13 | C | Gonzalo Tiesi 60' |
| Gonzalo Garcia | C | 12 | C | Felipe Contepomi (capt.) |
| Mirco Bergamasco | W | 11 | W | Rafael Carballo 79' to 80' |
| 62' Andrea Marcato | FH | 10 | FH | Juan Martín Hernández |
| 51' Pablo Canavosio | SH | 9 | SH | Nicolas Vergallo 60' |
| (capt.) Sergio Parisse | N8 | 8 | N8 | Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe |
| Mauro Bergamasco | F | 7 | F | Rimas Álvarez Kairelis |
| Josh Sole | F | 6 | F | Martín Durand 48'-56' 64' |
| 43' to 48' Marco Bortolami | L | 5 | L | Patricio Albacete |
| 66' Carlo Del Fava | L | 4 | L | Esteban Lozada 58' |
| 70' Carlos Nieto | P | 3 | P | Juan Pablo Orlandi 69' |
| 64' Fabio Ongaro | H | 2 | H | Mario Ledesma 77' |
| 52' Matías Agüero | P | 1 | P | Rodrigo Roncero 56' to 66' |
| | | Replacements | | |
| 64' Leonardo Ghiraldini | H | 16 | H | Alberto Vernet Basualdo 77' |
| 52' Andrea Lo Cicero | P | 17 | P | Marcos Ayerza 48'-56' 69' |
| 70' Salvatore Perugini | P | 18 | L | Álvaro Galindo 58' |
| 43'-48' 66' Tommaso Reato | L | 19 | F | Alejandro Campos 64' |
| 51' Pietro Travagli | SH | 20 | SH | Agustin Figuerola 60' |
| 62' Luciano Orquera | FH | 21 | W | Santiago Fernandez 75' |
| Luke McLean | | 22 | C | Horacio Agulla 60' |
| | | Coaches | | |
| Nick Mallett | | | | Santiago Phelan |
* 22 November 2008
| Ireland | 17–3 | Argentina |
| Try: Bowe 76' Pen: O'Gara 38' 46' 74' Drop: O' Gara 68' | report | Con: Fernandez 36' |
* Croke Park, Dublin Attendance: 68.000 Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Team details :
| Ireland | | Argentina |
| Geordan Murphy | FB | 15 | FB | Horacio Agulla |
| Tommy Bowe | W | 14 | W | Francisco Leonelli 68' |
| (capt.) Brian O'Driscoll | C | 13 | C | Federico Martín Aramburú |
| Luke Fitzgerald | C | 12 | C | Miguel Avramovic |
| Rob Kearney | W | 11 | W | Rafael Carballo |
| Ronan O'Gara | FH | 10 | FH | Santiago Fernandez |
| Tomás O'Leary | SH | 9 | SH | Nicolas Vergallo 68' |
| Jamie Heaslip | N8 | 8 | N8 | Juan Manuel Leguizamón |
| 75' David Wallace | F | 7 | F | Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe |
| Stephen Ferris | F | 6 | F | Martín Durand |
| Paul O'Connell | L | 5 | L | Patricio Albacete |
| Donncha O'Callaghan | L | 4 | L | Rimas Álvarez Kairelis 55' |
| John Hayes | P | 3 | P | Juan Pablo Orlandi 48' |
| 13' Jerry Flannery | H | 2 | H | Mario Ledesma |
| Marcus Horan | P | 1 | P | Rodrigo Roncero 78' to 80' |
| | | Replacements | | |
| 13' Rory Best | H | 16 | | Alberto Vernet Basualdo |
| Tony Buckley | | 17 | P | Marcos Ayerza 48' |
| Malcolm O'Kelly | | 18 | L | Esteban Lozada 55' |
| 75' Donnacha Ryan | F | 19 | | Álvaro Galindo |
| Eoin Reddan | | 20 | SH | Agustin Figuerola 68' |
| Paddy Wallace | | 21 | | Mauro Comuzzi |
| Keith Earls | | 22 | W | Bernardo Stortoni 60' |
| | | Coaches | | |
| Declan Kidney | | | | Santiago Phelan |