Recruited in the summer of 2024 from Pampas XV, in Argentina’s semi-professional championship, Justo Piccardo was a complete unknown when he arrived at Montpellier. Twelve months on, the 24-year-old centre has installed himself among the best in his position in the Top 14. On Saturday, he will play in the final against Toulouse, at the Stade de France.

From anonymity to the starting XV

When he arrived, in July 2024, almost nobody knew his name. A year later, he is one of MHR’s key men. Argentina, meanwhile, are already counting on him: like his compatriot Domingo Miotti, he was unable to answer Felipe Contepomi’s call for the first match of the Nations Championship. The Top 14 final came first.

What the numbers say

With Montpellier, Piccardo has scored eight tries this season. Seven in the Top 14, including four in the same match, against Montauban on 9 May (59-7), and one in the Challenge Cup, which the Hérault club lifted. Add his two tries for Argentina in the autumn tests, and the total climbs to ten in nineteen matches across all competitions.

The rest of his stats sheet paints the picture of a complete centre: ten line breaks, forty-two defenders beaten, 87% tackle success. Able to break a line as well as hold his wing in defence.

With Miotti, targeting the Brennus

Montpellier’s Argentine recruitment drive raised smiles for a long time. Today it accounts for a good share of the club’s success. With Miotti at fly-half and Piccardo in the centre, MHR are playing for the title, two years after surviving relegation by the finest of margins at Grenoble. On Saturday, the centre nobody expected will indeed be on the team sheet.