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The Miotti case has moved on three days later, and the tone has changed. On the latest episode of Divagazioni di Rugby with Cristian Lovisetto, Danpat updates his line on the Montpellier fly-half: the right window for his first Italy cap is November. Not the Six Nations, not the warm-up Tests right before the World Cup.
The Contepomi rift
Before getting to the timing, the podcast revisits the friction that opened the case. Miotti, as Felipe Contepomi himself explained in July, turned down a fresh Pumas call-up to make himself available for Italy. The 30-year-old, capped ten times by Argentina, hasn’t played for the Pumas since 9 July 2022: World Rugby’s mandatory 36-month stand-down period has long since passed. If the call comes, it will be from Gonzalo Quesada, the same coach who worked with him at the Jaguares.
For Danpat, the whole saga has the flavour of a transfer saga: “It’s all market intrigue,” he says at one point, comparing the dynamics of international call-ups to a club transfer.
Why November, not another window
The reasoning is straightforward. The 2027 Six Nations, the last before the home World Cup, is too important to be the stage for a debut. And calling him up right before the World Cup, three games out, would be almost worse: too late to integrate him, too risky to leave him out with confidence. That leaves the second Nations Championship window in November: the right moment to let him breathe the environment, possibly without even playing in his first camp, as has happened with other players before him.
The queue at fly-half
Calling him up, though, wouldn’t guarantee him the shirt. Italy’s fly-half department has got more crowded in recent weeks: Paolo Garbisi, having left Toulon, made a strong start with USAP Perpignan, playing 80 minutes on the Top 14 opener with a perfect 3-from-3 off the tee and the assist for Sevu Reece’s try, despite a narrow defeat away to Stade Français. Tommaso Allan has moved on and joined Zebre Parma. Rounding out the picture, also at Zebre, are Giacomo Da Re and Giovanni Montemauri. For Danpat, the final call belongs to Gonzalo Quesada alone: Miotti “could help,” he says, but the jersey has to be earned, not handed over on reputation.
The Dimcheff parallel: one rule for everyone
Backing up the meritocracy argument is a parallel from within the squad itself: Pablo Dimcheff, the hooker who arrived from Argentina on a similar path to Miotti’s, Italian heritage and eligibility secured after his own stand-down from the Pumas, now in direct competition with young Tommaso Di Bartolomeo for the starting jersey. For Danpat the standard has to be identical for everyone, whether an oriundo or a home-grown product: “It has to apply equally to everyone, no favouritism, no special treatment.” That goes for Dimcheff. It will go for Miotti too, if and when the call comes.
Read also: Italy’s road to 2027: the November tests, a must-win Six Nations and the World Cup pool
Whether it happens in November or later, the Miotti case says a lot about how Quesada plans to manage the squad on the road to 2027: meritocracy first, oriundi included. Keep following the channel so you don’t miss the next episode of Divagazioni di Rugby.
DANPAT Rugby
Verified online: Miotti’s choice of Italy confirmed by Felipe Contepomi (July 2026, La Nacion/OnRugby); Miotti’s last Pumas appearance was on 9 July 2022 against Scotland in Salta (La Nacion); Paolo Garbisi’s move from Toulon to USAP Perpignan (Rugby Transferts, July 2026) and his Top 14 opening-day performance on 5 September 2026 (USAP Forum/Eurosport); Tommaso Allan’s move to Zebre Parma (Sky Sport, April 2026); Giovanni Montemauri and Giacomo Da Re confirmed at Zebre (Zebre Parma, OnRugby); Pablo Dimcheff, the Italian-Argentine hooker, eligibility confirmed (Americas Rugby News, RugbyPass). Not independently confirmed: the “strong start” verdict on Garbisi matches the official match data but remains partly Danpat’s own opinion.