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Six changes for Argentina, uncapped U20 also named on their bench
By Liam Heagney
Argentina have named a team to face New Zealand showing six changes from their recent win over Uruguay. Los Pumas followed up their drawn series versus France with a record 79-5 victory over Uruguay at Punta del Este on July 20 and they have now made two alterations to their pack and four in the backline for their opening-round match of The Rugby Championship in Wellington.
Both changes in the pack are in the back row with Pablo Matera returning to skipper from blindside in place of Joaquin Moro and Juan Martin Gonzalez named at No8 instead of Joaquin Oviedo.
In the backs, Santiago Carreras is at fly-half for Tomas Albornoz. Lucio Cinti is at midfield for Jeronimo de la Fuente, Matias Moroni takes over from Ignacio Mendy on the right wing while Juan Cruz Mallia is at full-back for Santiago Cordero.
An exciting bench development is the inclusion of the uncapped Efrain Elias, the new Toulouse recruit who impressively skippered Argentina to a fifth-place finish at the recent World Rugby U20 Championship in Cape Town.
Argentina (vs New Zealand, Saturday)
1. GALLO Thomas (26 caps)
2. RUIZ Ignacio (10 caps)
3. BELLO Eduardo (24 caps)
4. MOLINA Franco (3 caps)
5. RUBIOLO Pedro (12 caps)
6. MATERA Pablo (101 caps, captain)
7. KREMER Marcos (67 caps, vice-captain)
8. GONZALEZ Juan Martin (31 caps)
9. BERTRANOU Gonzalo (60 caps)
10. CARRERAS Santiago (45 caps)
11. CARRERAS Mateo (20 caps)
12. CHOCOBARES Santiago (21 caps)
13. CINTI Lucio (23 caps)
14. MORONI Matias (82 caps)
15. MALLIA Juan Cruz (33 caps, vice-captain)
Replacements:
16. CREEVY Agustin (108 caps)
17. VIVAS Mayco (24 caps)
18. SCLAVI Joel (18 caps)
19. ELIAS Efrain (uncapped)
20. LAVANINI Tomas (86 caps)
21. OVIEDO Joaquin (5 caps)
22. BAZAN VELEZ Lautaro (15 caps)
23. ALBORNOZ Thomas (8 caps)
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Latest Comments
I think it's the least likely possibility Ed.
Go to commentsScotland should win this one, considering they are the settled team compared to Australia. However, that is no guarantee that they will win. The Aussies tails is up, and they are throwing everything at the opposition.
When the Aussie fans cracked up and got angry when Joe Schmidt was appointed, I said to them to be patient, that he will get them on the right track. They said that he is not Australian and he won nothing. Second best. I should mind my own business because I don't know the Aussie ways, which is true as I'm SA.
However, now that he is bringing in results, they are all changing their minds. Joe is all in when he coaches a team. There is no team he supports more than the team he coaches. His quality is shining through properly now.
It's going to be a very tight game, much tighter than people realise. Both teams is playing exciting rugby right now. They both want to win. I'd even go as far as marking this game as the top game of the weekend.
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