Hernandez set for Pumas return

Racing-Metro's Argentinian flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez will return for the Pumas after a three-year absence during two friendly matches against French Top 14 side Stade Francais in Buenos Aires in the coming week.

The 29-year-old's last match for Argentina was in June 2009 against England and since then he has been plagued by injuries, notably to his right knee, which sidelined him from the 2011 World Cup.

"It's funny to be playing for the national side against a team like Stade Francais," he said.

"I've had the opportunity to play them with my club [Racing-Metro] and they're a very good rival.

"This match will be important to see where we are. Personally it comes at a good time because it's been a long time since I've been called up and there are new things to learn."

Meanwhile veteran playmaker Felipe Contepomi will line-up at flyhalf for Stade Français against the Pumas.

Contepomi has not been included in the Pumas squad for the southern hemisphere competition after featuring in the June Tests, making him unavailable for the national side later in the year due to an agreement between the Argentina Rugby Union and European clubs and signalling the end of his international career.

The friendlies on August 4 and 10 will give both teams their final warm-ups before the Top 14 season gets underway and the Rugby Championship in which Argentina will compete for the first time with South Africa, Australia and New Zealand from August 18.

Teams:

Argentina: 15 Lucas González Amorosino, 14 Gonzalo Camacho, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Santiago Fernández, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Juan Martín Hernández, 9 Nicolás Vergallo, 8 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (captain) 7 Tomás Leonardi, 6 Julio Farías Cabello, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Manuel Carizza, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustín Creevy, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.

Replacements - from: Eusebio Guiñazú, Marcos Ayerza, Juan Pablo Orlandi, Álvaro Galindo, Agustín Figuerola, Nicolás Sánchez , Juan Imhoff, Leonardo Senatore, Tomás Vallejos , Tomás De la Vega, Martín Rodríguez, Rafael Carballo, Martín Bustos Moyano,

Stade Français : 15 Jérôme Porical, 14 Waisea Vuidravuwalu, 13 Geoffrey Doumayrou, 12 Morgan Turinui, 11 Julien Arias, 10 Felipe Contepomi, 9 Julien Dupuy, 8 David Lyons, 7 Olivier Missoup, 6 Scott LaValla, 5 Pascal Papé, 4 Anton Van Zyl, 3 David Attoub, 2 Laurent Sempéré, 1 Romain Frou.

Replacements: TBC

Date: Saturday, August 4

Venue: Estadio del club Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires

Kick-off: 16.40 (19.40 GMT)

Referee: TBC