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The Los Pumas 7s ace set to step up in place of SVNS Series legend
It was in tears that Gastón Revol exited a loud Stade de France after the quarterfinal loss against eventual gold winners France in an unforgettable rugby tournament at the Olympic Games. At 37, the veteran of over 100 HSBC SVNS tournaments and record holder, was finally retiring.
First capped in 2009, it was expected that after the first Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, he might pass the baton to a younger generation. Never one to back off a challenge, Revol fought to stay in the team. Tokyo 2020 came a year later and he was there to take the bronze medal. He seemed to have exceeded his sell-by date and three years for Paris seemed too far in the future. His resilience, leadership, work ethic, and of course his on-field efficiency, got him to his third Olympic Games.
After 106 HSBC SVNS tournaments, 494 games, 62 tries and 1006 points, Revol will not be in Dubai when the series reconvenes this weekend.
Methodical, Santiago Gómez Cora had been working for a couple of seasons in the transition, and who will continue to play in the pivotal scrumhalf role will be Joaquín Pellandini.
“He is our conductor, the brain of the team. He leads the orchestra and makes it sound right,” says Gómez Cora of 25-year-old Pellandini. “He understands the right moments in a game and what roads to take; together with (flyhalf) ‘Toto’ Mare they lead.”
With 19 HSBC SVNS tournaments in his CV, ‘Joaco’ or ‘Pellan’ – both nicknames fit – will be playing his 100th series game the second time he takes the field at The Sevens Stadium.
Back to full fitness after an untimely injury towards the end of the Series that did not have him at 100 per cent in Paris, Pellandini is raring to go for another season.
“I am starting my third season with the team, and it already feels it will be shorter. We could do with maybe an eighth tournament,” he tells RugbyPass ahead of Dubai.
“I remember when I first started, I was surprised with the stadiums. My debut was in Hong Kong and it was like I dream, I didn’t really understand what was happening.”
“The speed of everything was new. I would finish the weekends extremely tired as everything is quicker and more dynamic.”
Pellandini, whose great uncle Carlos was one of Argentina’s finest basketballers until the arrival of the Golden Generation that won, with great Manu Ginobili, gold at the 2004 Olympic Games, was hooked on rugby from an early age, playing for the Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club, the oldest club in South America.
Born in 1999, he was spotted in his final U19 year and invited to prepare at the National Academy. A year later, in 2019, was understudy to Gonzalo García – who played against France last weekend for Los Pumas – in the U20 World Championship at home, in Rosario.
“I learnt what being a professional was, even if we didn’t get paid,” he recalls.
He was included in the Argentine franchise for the first regional professional tournament that took off and died after three games due to COVID. He did finish that very strange 2020 season with Argentina XV, the side selected from home talent.
In order to ensure he got real game time, he moved to the Paraguayan franchise, Olimpia, where he not only shone, but managed to finish his Business Degree.
By the end of 2021 he was getting closer to full national honours, but he started the following year with an injury and although playing for Argentina’s franchise Jaguares XV, was below standard and he was cut from the Academy.
“The same weekend I was told I was surplus to requirements, Santi (Gómez Cora) wanted to see me playing sevens. I had a good test and I was given a three-month try-out. I debuted at the multi-sports ODESUR Games and played well.”
Pellandini started really enjoying sevens in Rio 2016, when “would rush back from school to watch it.”
With a club teammate playing in Los Pumitas that won the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018, he attended the tournament that featured his current teammates Marcos Moneta and Matteo Graziano.
“That first year in 2023 I was the apprentice to Gastón and with Alejo Lavayen we played few minutes. They were both injured in Los Angeles and I played a lot in Vancouver, gaining knowledge and confidence.”
With his parents and older sister in the stands, Argentina won the tournament.
“In the following tournament in Hong Kong we finished fifth and then reached three finals. We understand that if we connected we’d be almost unstoppable.” In London, they finished the 2023 season with a title.
The best Pumas 7s season happened in 2024, although the big prize eluded them. After losing the final in Dubai, the won Cape Town, Perth and Vancouver, yet tiredness and injuries destabilized the team.
Captain Santiago Alvarez was injured in LA, superstar Moneta broke a leg in Hong Kong and Pellandini popped his shoulder in Madrid. Although Argentina won the Series, two points above Ireland in Singapur, France, with Sevens Player of the Year Antoine Dupont, beat them in the championship final in Madrid, where Rodrigo Isgró was suspended until the second day at the Olympics.
“We had players not at full strength and Isgro’s suspension had a physical and mental toll,” he reflects on Paris 2024, where he had the loud support of 19 mates from his club and five family members in his corner.
“We did not display our game and it hurts. Still hurts because we did not expect it. Against France (in quarterfinals) we failed in the kick-offs and took three tries. It was so loud we couldn’t communicate.”
It hurts so much that his new goal is Los Angeles 2028.
“I don’t want to think in XVs as I don’t want to lose focus. The team goal is not about final position, it is about getting that connection again, of feeling we are unstoppable.”
What to expect for a Pumas 7s with only two new players?
“We’ve changed a few things as teams’ have studied us and we need to surprise the opposition. It is all in the detail.”
“I believe my role is to make the ball reach the strong or the fast in the best manner. As Santi says, we have stars but the team needs someone to connect them, to get them in order.”
As much as Revol will be missed, Pellandini’s broad shoulders have already carried the responsibility.
“He was of great help to me when I came into the team, not only on the field but off the field as his experience was invaluable and will be missed. Whenever he spoke, we’d all listen as he was always spot on.”
“We’ll miss a great leader,” he concludes on Revol.
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