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Harlequins' first impressions of sevens superstar Rodrigo Isgro
By Josh Raisey
Summer signing Rodrigo Isgro has begun life as a Harlequin this week, linking up with his new team two days after starting on the wing for Argentina against South Africa in the final round of The Rugby Championship on Saturday.
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The reigning World Rugby men’s sevens player of the year has enjoyed a jam-packed summer in both the seven-man format and the 15-man format.
After helping Los Pumas Sevens win the HSBC SVNS league title, losing to France in the Grand Final in Madrid, the 25-year-old was part of Argentina’s Olympic campaign in Paris, again losing to eventual champions France in the quarter-finals, before switching to 15s for The Rugby Championship, where his sole appearance came in the loss to the Springboks in Mbombela.
Bienvenido @IsgroRodrigo 🙌
Watch the moment our latest signing Rodrigo Isgró is introduced to the squad 🃏#COYQ pic.twitter.com/wDohhZvQXO
— Harlequins 🃏 (@Harlequins) October 1, 2024
In the midst of a whirlwind couple of months, the Argentine signed for Quins in September, who he linked up with on Monday, with head coach Danny Wilson saying his debut is imminent.
Though Isgro’s first couple of days have been spent in the gym, with no training on the field, Wilson has been impressed by what he has seen, describing his new recruit as a “big winger”.
Weighing in at 100kg, Isgro promises to be quite an asset for Quins on the wing, with speed to match his robust frame.
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“He joined us yesterday, and we welcomed him,” Wilson said this week. “He trained a little bit today, not on field but gym and bits and pieces and he’s getting settled, which is great.
“He’s a big winger. He’s a big lad. Looking forward to getting him on the field.”
Isgro’s arrival has come at an ideal time for Quins, who have seen their back-three stocks depleted recently. With vice-captain Cadan Murley and Tyrone Green already injured heading into the season, the London outfit lost rising star Cassius Cleaves to a hamstring injury in the victory over Newcastle Falcons, with Leigh Halfpenny additionally emerging as an injury concern.
Though Friday’s Gallagher Premiership clash with champions Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens may come too soon for Isgro to make his debut, Wilson said that he will play in the “coming weeks”.
Wilson said: “Our back three have picked up a number of bumps and injuries right now so it’s good timing and hopefully, we can get him out there in the coming weeks.”
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While injuries are an inevitability in professional rugby, the battle for the No 11, No 14 and the No 15 shirts will be an intriguing one should everyone return to full fitness.
Watch the highly acclaimed five-part documentary Chasing the Sun 2, chronicling the journey of the Springboks as they strive to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup, free on RugbyPass TV (*unavailable in Africa)
