Coach Mario Ledesma has included five European-based players in Argentina’s 46-man squad for the Rugby Championship.

Argentina had previously selected only home-based players – and mainly those representing the Jaguares in Super Rugby – but with it being a World Cup year, the rules have been relaxed thus allowing Ledesma to pick standout performers plying their trade abroad.

And the coach has immediately made called up props Juan Figallo (Saracens) and Ramiro Herrera (Stade Francais), loose forward Facundo Isa (Toulon), flyhalf Nicolás Sánchez (Stade Français) and utility back Benjamin Urdapilleta (Castres).

Uncapped duo Domingo Miotti and Santiago Carreras, who are in their debut Super Rugby season, have also been included in the extended playing-group and could make thier Test debuts in the Rugby Championship.

Argentina squad – Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Mayco Vivas, Juan Pablo Zeiss, Javier Díaz, Santiago García Botta, Juan Figallo, Ramiro Herrera, Santiago Medrano, Enrique Pieretto, Lucio Sordoni, Agustín Creevy, Julián Montoya, Santiago Socino, Guido Petti, Tomás Lavanini, Matías Alemanno, Lucas Paulos, Pablo Matera, Tomás Lezana, Facundo Isa, Javier Ortega Desio, Marcos Kremer, Rodrigo Bruni, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, Tomás Cubelli, Gonzalo Bertranou, Martín Landajo, Felipe Ezcurra, Nicolás Sánchez, Benjamín Urdapilleta, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Domingo Miotti, Santiago González Iglesias, Jerónimo De La Fuente, Matías Orlando, Matías Moroni, Lucas Mensa, Juan Cruz Mallía, Bautista Ezcurra, Ramiro Moyano, Bautista Delguy, Sebastián Cancelliere, Emiliano Boffelli, Joaquín Tuculet, Manuel Montero, Santiago Carreras.

Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images