South Africa will be reunited with eight of the Argentinean players they faced in last October’s World Cup semi-final when the two sides go head-to-head in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.
Fly-half Felipe Contepomi skippers An Argentina side that also includes wing Horacio Agulla, back rows Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Juan Manuel Leguizamon, locks Patricio Albacete and Rimas Alvarez, hooker Mario Ledesma and prop Rodrigo Roncero, all of whom played the last time the two sides met in Paris just under 10 months ago.
Pumas head coach Santiago Phelan has included a total of seven players who did not feature in last month’s disappointing home defeat to Italy, with inside centre Miguel Avramovic, flanker Martin Durand, fullback Bernardo Stortoni and scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo joining Agulla, Leguizamon, and Roncero in the starting XV.
Argentina (vs South Africa, Johannesburg, Saturday, kick-off 2.05pm BST)
15-Bernardo Stortoni, 14-Jose Maria Nunez Piossek, 13-Federico Martin Aramburu, 12-Miguel Avramovic, 11-Horacio Agulla, 10-Felipe Contepomi (captain), 9-Nicolas Vergallo, 8-Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 7-Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 6-Martin Durand, 5-Patricio Albacete, 4-Rimas Alvarez, 3-Pedro Ledesma, 2-Mario Ledesma, 1-Rodrigo Roncero
