The Pumas have named their team for the rematch in Mendoza

September 04, 2026
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Ultimate Rugby

Following their defeat to Australia last Saturday in Jujuy, Felipe Contepomi's team is preparing for a rematch against the Wallabies in Mendoza, which will also be Los Pumas' final home game of the year.

The match will be played on Saturday, September 5, at 6:00 PM at Malvinas Argentinas Stadium, with the Visa Galicia Cup at stake.

Saturday's encounter will be the fifth meeting between the two sides in Mendoza, with Los Pumas having managed just one victory in their previous four encounters. The results are as follows:

October 4, 2014: Los Pumas 21–17 Australia, Mendoza
July 25, 2015: Los Pumas 9–34 Australia, Mendoza
October 7, 2017: Los Pumas 20–37 Australia, Mendoza
August 6, 2022: Los Pumas 26–41 Australia, Mendoza

Following this final home fixture, Los Pumas will have a break before returning to action in November for the final phase of the brand-new Nations Championship.

Four Changes to the Starting XV

Following last week's defeat in Jujuy, Felipe Contepomi has made four changes to his starting XV.

Pedro Delgado, Efraín Elías, Franco Molina and Nicolás Roger come into the starting lineup, replacing Francisco Moreno, Tomás Lavanini, Benjamín Grondona and Gerónimo Prisciantelli.

There are also positional changes, with Guido Petti moving into the back row and Santiago Carreras shifting to fullback.

Among the replacements, the inclusion of two potential debutants stands out: Mendoza-born Facundo Cardozo and Córdoba's Mateo Soler.

Facundo Cardozo

Facundo Cardozo came through the ranks at Teqüe in Mendoza and currently plays for Universitario de Tucumán. He was part of the Dogos XV side that won the 2024 title and represented Tarucas, the Tucumán franchise, this year.

In 2025, Cardozo was also part of the Argentina XV squad that toured Europe, featuring against Munster and Bristol Bears.

Mateo Soler

Mateo Soler, the son of former Puma Facundo Soler (Puma No. 520), came through the youth system at Tala Rugby Club and currently plays for Dogos XV.

In addition to helping Dogos XV win the title in 2024, Soler was named the franchise's MVP in 2026.

At international youth level, he represented Los Pumitas at the Oceania U20 Championship in 2022 and the U20 World Cup in 2023. In 2024, he received his first call-up to the Los Pumas squad.

Here is the Los Pumas lineup for the rematch against Australia in Mendoza:

Starting XV