Cheika includes debutants as Argentina legend approaches record

Argentina head coach Michael Cheika has announced the 23-man squad for their Pool D clash against Chile at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Saturday, 30 September.

The lineup is a mix of experience and debutants, with Rodrigo Isgro and Martín Bogado starting, while Ignacio Ruiz and Joaquín Oviedo are poised to make their Rugby World Cup debuts from the bench.

Cheika has made 11 changes to the starting XV compared to the previous match, with only Marcos Kremer, Guido Petti, Eduardo Bello, and Juan Martin González retaining their spots. Kremer and González will be the sole players to start in all three games of RWC 2023.

The starting XV includes three of Argentina's most capped players, Agustín Creevy, Nicolás Sánchez, and Tomás Cubelli.

Additionally, six players in the lineup are aged 30 or older, including Agustín Creevy, who is set to equal Mario Ledesma Arocena as Argentina's most capped Rugby World Cup player in his 18th match. Creevy is the fourth oldest player to participate in a Rugby World Cup game.

Nicolás Sánchez will earn his 100th cap, becoming the second Argentine to reach this milestone. He is also Argentina's all-time leading point-scorer (872) and needs 16 more points to become their all-time leading Rugby World Cup point-scorer.

ARGENTINA TEAM TO FACE CHILE IN NANTES

1 Joel Sclavi

2 Agustín Creevy

3 Eduardo Bello

4 Guido Petti Pagadizabal

5 Pedro Rubiolo

6 Juan Martin Gonzalez

7 Marcos Kremer

8 Facundo Isa

9 Tomas Cubelli

10 Nicolas Sanchez

11 Juan Imhoff

12 Jeronimo de la Fuente (c)

13 Lucio Cinti

14 Rodrigo Isgro

15 Martín Bogado

Replacements:

16 Ignacio Ruiz

17 Mayco Vivas

18 Francisco Gómez Kodela

19 Matias Alemanno

20 Joaquín Oviedo

21 Lautaro Bazan Velez

22 Santiago Carreras

23 Juan Cruz Mallia