Contepomi confirms Miotti has chosen Italy over Argentina after World Cup snub

Domingo Miotti is set to end his association with Argentina and pursue an international career with Italy, Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi confirmed at a press conference ahead of Argentina’s clash with Wales.

Contepomi revealed he had approached the Montpellier utility back as cover after Santiago Chocobares became unavailable for the July window of the Nations Championship, only for Miotti to decline the call-up. “We had a great talk, but he has said that he sees more opportunities to play for Italy,” Contepomi said. “It is a decision that we have accepted. We understand that it wasn’t an easy decision to make.”

The Argentina head coach added that the original plan had been to include Miotti in the squad for the August Test matches against Australia and South Africa, but that option is now off the table following the player’s decision.

Miotti’s last appearance for the Pumas came in July 2022, when he played the final five minutes of a 29-6 defeat to Scotland. He earned 22 caps for Argentina after debuting in 2020 but was left out of the squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The 27-year-old holds an Italian passport, which opens the door to representing the Azzurri. Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada did not include him in his squad for the first three rounds of the Nations Championship, but Miotti could come into contention for the November window if the switch is formalised.

Miotti’s club career has taken several turns since he left Argentina in 2021. He joined the Western Force before signing a two-year deal with Glasgow Warriors, where he made only 20 appearances. A move to US Oyonnax followed, and despite the club’s relegation to Pro D2 at the end of the 2023-24 season, Montpellier moved quickly to sign him.

After a quiet first season in France, Miotti emerged as a key figure in Montpellier’s run to the Top 14 final and their EPCR Challenge Cup triumph, accumulating 292 points across both competitions.

Should the switch be confirmed, Miotti would follow a notable precedent. Diego Dominguez, another Argentine-born fly-half, represented the Pumas in 1989 before switching allegiance to Italy in 1991 and going on to become one of the Azzurri’s most celebrated players.