“I would have loved to be the undisputed starter of Los Pumas”: Why Urdapilleta could not establish himself in the national team
Benjamín Urdapilleta He built a brilliant career in French rugby, where he became the All-time top scorer in the Top 14but his passage through The Pumas It was marked by absences, technical decisions and injuries at key moments. From a distance, the opening admits in an interview with AM850 Fans that the National Team was his great pending account.
“It’s clear to me why I haven’t played since Los Pumas started with Jaguarsit couldn’t be done there because I was playing in Europe. From the 2015 World Cup, I know that it was due to the coach’s decision that preferred another player. “My unfinished business was to be able to show myself to be at that World Cup event,” explained the back, in reference to the cycle that prioritized players from the local system.
The scenario only changed in 2019, when he was exceptionally called up to compete in the World Cup in Japan. “Then I was lucky enough to play it in 2019, by exception. I was 33 years old there, at that moment I thought the World Cup was over and it was the last thing, I never believed I would reach 40 in the sport”he recalled. Furthermore, he acknowledged that he lacked continuity to establish himself in the team: “They called me only for the World Cup. The boys had just lost the final with Jaguares and there was a spectacular squad.” He also remembered the defeat against France as a turning point: “We were able to turn it around, but a bad start in the ruck and López’s drop brought us down, the pressure worked against us”. Regarding his relationship with Mario Ledesma, he added that he hoped to have more prominence: “With the exception call, it was what I was looking for. I felt in because he didn’t start me and I did well in 20 minutes against South Africa.”
His last great opportunity came in the cycle of Michael Cheikawhen he was called up again in 2022 after an outstanding season in France. However, an injury halted his momentum just before the 2023 World Cup. “I came back in 2022, but I just got injured. I had faith in myself for 2023, I had played in the Top 14 final, Cheika had called me up for June 2022 and I was unlucky enough to get injured. I couldn’t show myself, I wasn’t physically well.”
Despite everything, the opener assures that today he is not experiencing that situation with frustration. “I am at peace with myself. I would have loved to be the undisputed starter of Los Pumas, to have 80 caps, one always wants more, but I am very calm with what I did. I try to always give my best, to be at full strength for the team I play. I want to perform and give my best; in every club I defended I did it that way.”
After retiring from French professional rugby and having a brief return to his parent club, CUBAin 2025, Urdapilleta decided to extend his career and confirmed his return to the Top 14 for the 2025/2026 season, linking to USA Perpignan. Thus, the opener continues adding chapters in his career but with a story in Los Pumas that, in his own words, always left the feeling that it could have been much more.
