Pumas bring in Toulon star for Wallabies clash
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Veteran hooker Agustin Creevy has been left out due to injury as Argentina coach Mario Ledesma made five changes to his side to face Australia in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.
The Pumas came agonisingly close last weekend to a first-ever victory over New Zealand but succumbed to a 16-20 defeat.
Creevy did not travel with the squad to Australia due to a muscle problem and is replaced in the front row by Julian Montoya.
Toulon back-rower Facundo Isa comes in at No.8 in place of Javier Ortega Desio while Tomas Lezana plays at blindside flank instead of Marcos Kremer.
Santiago Cordero, who moved from Exeter Chiefs to Bordeaux-Begles during the off season, comes in at right wing in place of Matias Moroni, who moves to outside centre as Matias Orlando drops to the bench.
The final change sees Joaquin Tuculet picked at fullback ahead of Emiliano Boffelli.
After naming 13 players from Super Rugby runners-up Jaguares against the All Blacks, Ledesma has picked four foreign-based players to face the Wallabies.
Stade Francais flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez and Saracens prop Juan Figallo keep their places.
Two more players, flank and captain Pablo Matera and lock Tomas Lavanini, played for Jaguares in their 3-19 defeat to the Crusaders earlier this month but will join Stade Francais and Leicester Tigers respectively next season.
Australia began their campaign with a 35-17 defeat away to South Africa.
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.
Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Ramiro Herrera, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, 23 Matias Orlando
Date: Saturday, July 27
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 19.45 (09.45 GMT; 06.45 Argentina time)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)