News24
19 Jul 2019, 02:42 GMT+10
Buenos Aires - Argentina head coach Mario Ledesma on Thursday named 13 players from beaten Super Rugby finalists the Jaguares in his team to face New Zealand in the Rugby Championship this weekend.
Only Stade Francais flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez and Saracens prop Juan Figallo did not start the Jaguares' 19-3 defeat to Crusaders in Christchurch.
But while All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has decided to rest eight Crusaders stars and name five uncapped players in his 23-man match day squad, Ledesma is looking to harness the momentum of the free-flowing Jaguares in search of a first ever win over the three-time world champions.
It's an experienced line-up from Ledesma, with 10 players boasting at least 40 caps.
Hooker Agustin Creevy, 34, will make his 84th appearance, leaving him third overall and just three short of the all-time caps record of former flyhalf Felipe Contepomi.
There is no place for in-form Bordeaux-Begles winger Santiago Cordero despite his inclusion in Ledesma's preliminary Rugby World Cup squad.
While the Jaguares won 11 of their last 13 Super Rugby matches, Argentina won only two of 12 internationals in 2018.
Argentina need a good showing in the Rugby Championship to maintain the confidence generated by their franchise's run, not least because they face a tough World Cup group alongside England, France, the US and Tonga.
This is a competition in which Argentina have finished bottom in six of their seven participations.
The only time they didn't was in the last World Cup year when the teams played each other only once rather than twice - as will be the case this year.
A home victory over winless South Africa saw them finish third.
It will be the fourth time Argentina host New Zealand at the Jose Amalfitani stadium, where the three previous occasions produced similar results: 35-17, 36-10 and 36-17.
Kick-off is at 20:05 SA time.
Teams:
Argentina
15 Emiliano Boffelli; 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano; 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Tomas Cubelli; 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (captain); 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti; 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.
Substitutes: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Tomas Lezana, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, 23 Joaquin Tuculet
Substitutes: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Atu Moli, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Jackson Hemopo, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 Brad Weber, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Braydon Ennor
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