Juan Imhoff signs for Racing-Métro

[psychic duck]

Argentine winger Juan Imhoff has become the latest Pumas player to sign for a club in the Top 14, and for another team who play in light blue and white hoops, he will join his fellow Argentine compatriots Juan Martín Hernández, Alvaro Galindo and Juan Pablo Orlandi at Racing-Métro as a "medical joker" for the injured French international Benjamin Fall. 2011 has been a fantastic year for Imhoff, he scored 10 tries for the victorious Pampas XV in the Vodacom Cup, including two tries in the semi final against the Sharks and a hat trick against the Cheetahs in the quarter final.

Imhoff's form in the Vodacom Cup led to a call up to the national Argentina side, and when given the chance he has impressed a lot, he secured a World Cup place by scoring a first half hat trick against the South American Invitational XV and although Imhoff only started one match in the World Cup against Georgia but made a big impact off the bench against Romania and England and scored two tries in total, and in my opinion was unlucky not to start ahead of Agulla or Camacho.

Imhoff should be a key part to the Pumas set up over the next four years, he will face competition to start from the short jinky wingers, Horacio Agulla, Gonzalo Camacho and Lucas González Amorosino and Martín Bustos Moyano who was unlucky to miss out on the Pumas World Cup squad. But Imhoff offers a different attacking threat from the above wingers, he has a real athletic build, very lean but strong, a bit like Tommy Bowe and George North, and as one can tell just from his stats he is a very good finisher, his defence isn't a weakness either.

Playing for Racing-Métro should only boost Imhoff, who was until now still based in Argentina, with Sireli Bobo now aged 35, and Mirco Bergamasco away for two international periods, and Benjamin Fall proving to be very injury prone, I think Imhoff should be able to get decent game time at the Parisian club, and will be a key part of the ambitious clubs quest for Top 14 glory.

From 2012, with Argentina playing more matches, I think Imhoff if he stays fit, who has already scored 9 tries in 8 matches (just three starts), will break José Núñez Piossek's Argentine record of 29 tries, you heard it here first :lol:!

 

[M Two One]

Great signing by RM92. Coincidentally he won't have to change kits following the RWC.

 

[Melhor Time]

Great news. Looks like you bet me to the punch! i.e. http://rugbyworldcup-argentina2023.blogspot.com/2011/10/juan-imhoff-signs-for-racing-metro.html

I am very happy for Juan and for the future of Argentine rugby. I think he´ll be playing Super Rugby in February onwards unless Racing Metro, or someone else, can give him a good offer.

It looks, to me, as if he´s overtaken Horacio Agulla now and is likely to be Argentina´s left winger in the 2011 international season. I´d be happy with that. Contepomi is unlikely to play again which has a number of solutions like Rodríguez playing 12 and González Amorosino 15 but I´d want Fernández at 12 with Hernández back at 10. Bosch at 13 really worked well. Tiesi needs to recover well and perform well for Stade Français. Really, all these players whould all be there in England * (cough and Wales) 2015

Ledesma and Scelzo have confirmed their both gone and Roncero is set to follow. Aside from that the forwards are also going to hardly change. Albacete, Fernández Lobbe, Leguizamón, Carizza, Ayerza, Figallo, Creevy... they´ll all be there still. Albacete at 34 doesn´t worry me.

i.e. potential 2015 team

15 Rodríguez (Stade Français)
14 Amorosino (Montpellier)
13 Bosch (Biarritz)
12 Fernández (Montpellier)
11 Imhoff (Racing Metro)
10 Hernández (Racing Metro)
9 Figuerola (Brive)
8 Senatore (GER Rosario)
7 Leguizamon (Lyon)
6 Fernández Lobbe (Toulon)
5 Albacete (Toulouse)
4 Carizza (Biarritz)
3 Figallo (Montpellier)
2 Creevy (Montpellier)
1 Ayerza (Leicester)

The question now is who will sign Leonardo Senatore.....

 

[M Two One]

That's a solid Argentine XV right there. There are actually rumors in France that a few clubs are looking at Senatore at the moment, no names yet, but apparently two from Top 14 and one Pro D2 side.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

It would be awesome to see some sort of Tier 1 and Tier 2 SupeRugby competition. We could have some Argentinian and Pacific teams in there so the players can develop in their own country, making the sport a lot more interesting for the Argentinian fans to watch. Oh well, it's a dream which will never come true, sadly enough.

Players like Imhoff will play in the Vodacom Cup for the Pampas and move to Europe when they get noticed. It's a shame really

 

[psychic duck]

I am very happy for Juan and for the future of Argentine rugby. I think he´ll be playing Super Rugby in February onwards unless Racing Metro, or someone else, can give him a good offer.

It looks, to me, as if he´s overtaken Horacio Agulla now and is likely to be Argentina´s left winger in the 2011 international season. I´d be happy with that. Contepomi is unlikely to play again which has a number of solutions like Rodríguez playing 12 and González Amorosino 15 but I´d want Fernández at 12 with Hernández back at 10. Bosch at 13 really worked well. Tiesi needs to recover well and perform well for Stade Français. Really, all these players whould all be there in England * (cough and Wales) 2015

Ledesma and Scelzo have confirmed their both gone and Roncero is set to follow. Aside from that the forwards are also going to hardly change. Albacete, Fernández Lobbe, Leguizamón, Carizza, Ayerza, Figallo, Creevy... they´ll all be there still. Albacete at 34 doesn´t worry me.
i.e. potential 2015 team

15 Rodríguez (Stade Français)
14 Amorosino (Montpellier)
13 Bosch (Biarritz)
12 Fernández (Montpellier)
11 Imhoff (Racing Metro)
10 Hernández (Racing Metro)
9 Figuerola (Brive)
8 Senatore (GER Rosario)
7 Leguizamon (Lyon)
6 Fernández Lobbe (Toulon)
5 Albacete (Toulouse)
4 Carizza (Biarritz)
3 Figallo (Montpellier)
2 Creevy (Montpellier)
1 Ayerza (Leicester)

The question now is who will sign Leonardo Senatore.....

I agree with this team, a good thing for Argentina is that unlike 2007 when Pichot, I Fernández Lobbe and Corleto left they are immediately replacing the departing players with players at least as good

Ayerza will lose nothing on Roncero

Creevy is a very mobile hooker and is good in the loose and although he is not the finished product (lineout throwing needs some work) he is good enough to replace Ledesma

Figallo has stepped up to number 3 better than I expected, and has the bonus of being able to play both sides of the scrum

Senatore looked awesome in the NZ match, he has to be signed up by a European side now (M Two One do you know which sides want him?)

I like Vergallo and think he is underrated and will be useful for at least another couple of seasons but Figuerola is the future, Lalanne needs to be kept away as far as possible (there is no way he should have made the RWC squad ahead of Figuerola)

Imhoff I think should be the premier winger due to the variety in attack he offers compared to the others, Camacho, Amorosino and Agulla will fight for the other wing spot, also don't forget Bustos Moyano he in my opinion could do a job for Argentina like what Paterson does for Scotland, ultra reliable in defence and a very accurate goal kicker, although he's played most of his rugby at wing I see potential for him as a full back

I like Rodríguez and he is much more creative than so

however with Hernández I don't think one should assume he will get back to his best, and I think he should have to earn the 10 jersey back, as he looked rusty when he played last season for Racing-Métro, maybe not in the next couple of years but by 2015 I think Nicolás Sanchez and Ignacio Rodríguez Muedra could be challenging, I've heard that Sanchez is a very good goal kicker (next Todeschini?) and this shouldn't be ignored as that is an important area that Argentina struggled with this RWC

Argentina is very healthy for quantity at 10-12-15 now (even Ignacio Mieres is now starting regularly at Exeter)

at centre I must give Bosch credit as I slated him pre RWC on this forum after he was dreadful in the 2010 November matches, but he's been good in defence and has made much less handling errors in attack not to mention possibly the best kick of the tournament (he kicked 55 metres from like two steps!), I now rate him above Tiesi who although also decent in defence is nothing spectacular in attack

I still think Argentina could do with a ball carrier in midfield though, there are lots of kickers and playmakers but somebody like a Jamie Roberts would be very useful to reliably hit the gainline and help get go forward ball

also I would like to think Galarza and Guzmán will develop above Carizza by 2015

My Argentina side 2012 (2015 players in brackets)
15. Hernández (Bustos Moyano if El Mago's form doesn't recover, if it does then I would play El Mago 10)
14. Imhoff
13. Bosch (de la Fuente)
12. Rodríguez
11. Amorosino
10. Fernández (if Hernández gets his form back he should play 10)
9. Vergallo (Figuerola)
1. Ayerza
2. Creevy
3. Figallo
4. Carizza (Galarza)
5. Albacete
6. Fernández Lobbe
7. Leguizamón
8. Senatore

note: if none of the goal kickers in that team step up to taking them then Sanchez would come in or another goal kicker, Argentina can't afford to drop potential points against AUS-NZL-RSA so MUST select the best goalkicker

 

[Me 1]

The question now is who will sign Leonardo Senatore.....

I believe Newcastle wanted him but he couldn't secure a work permit in the UK. How different would it be in France?

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

France is far easier when it comes to permits. Hence the shitload of non-EU players there at the moment.

In England with Football they have a rule that non-EU players need to have played at least 75% of their National Team's matches over the last 3 years.

This might be the same with rugby

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk

 

[Melhor Time]

Hernández is playing for Racing Metro on Friday at fullback vs Bordeaux. its his first game in seven months. I agree 100% that hs cannot, should not and will not just walk back into the Pumas side. Should be be able to come anything close to returning to his form of old, ala El Mago, then he´ll certainly be flyhalf for Argentina. As it stands Argentina has more options there than previously and the same is true of fullback. The number of home based players in the national 22 is increasingly looking like being zero with regular effect.

The one weakness with the team I posted would be goalkicking as there is no specialist. Bosch has taken over from Rodríguez as second choice behind Contepomi. Hernández is probably the best long range kicker but the best Argentine playing pro who kicks is certinaly Martín Bustos Moyano. A spot in the team is possible but not probable. Nicolás Sánchez will be in the 22 covering 10 and he is as good as Bustos Moyano. Depending on performances a lot could change.

My guess is that Patricio Albacete will get the captaincy with Juan Fernández Lobbe vice captain.

 

[Melhor Time]

I think Racing would be stupid not to give him an offer, he looks like their best winger at the moment, Bobo is old and hasn't played well this season, Benjamin Fall's body is very fragile to say the least, Mirco Bergamasco is away at international periods, Saubade is a journeyman club player, Germain has played primarily as a full back

he's the best winger he must stay

Impossible to disagree. Imhoff will be hot property. His try vs the Cardiff Blues was class while he did well in support to score vs Edinburgh on Friday. He seems to really have everything going for him. If Racing don´t extend his contract someone else will snap him up. He´s only had great things to say about Racing Metro too so.....

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Last weekend's game it felt like Recing's gameplan was "give it to Imhoff and let him figure it out". Awesome player, looks like the Puma's back three have enough quality and depth for a few years at least.

Do you know what will happen to him when Fall recovers?