Kurtley Beale has been axed from the Wallabies line up less than a day after it emerged he was involved in a heated in-flight argument with a staff member.
Beale will miss his first test this year after being overlooked for utility Rob Horne and halfback Nic White, who were the only two backs named on the reserves bench for Australia's clash with Argentina on Saturday.
Horne was one of the few Wallabies bench players who made an impact in the side's bitter 28-10 loss to the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday, while Beale struggled to wrest back the game's momentum as it swung South Africa's way mid-way through the second half.
Nevertheless, the timing of his dumping will fuel speculation Beale is being punished for his role in a verbal stoush with Wallabies business manager Di Patston during the side's flight from Johannesburg to Sao Paulo on Sunday.
Patston flew home from Buenos Aires two days after the incident, while Beale stayed with the team as they flew to Mendoza on Wednesday morning. Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie announced the side to take on the Pumas late on Wednesday night.
In a major boost for the side, whose preparations have been thrown into chaos by the incident involving Beale, centre Matt Toomua has been passed fit to play after clearing concussion checks throughout the week.
Regular second-row starter Rob Simmons, however, who was also concussed in the match at Newlands Stadium, has been ruled out. Former test captain James Horwill takes his place next to Sam Carter in the second-row, while Waratahs powerhouse Will Skelton comes on to the bench.
Melbourne Rebels captain Scott Higginbotham will make his first test start since December 2012, replacing Ben McCalman (shoulder) at No.8.
McKenzie named an unchanged backline for the clash, with Horne and White named on the bench in a forward-heavy six-two split.
Alongside Skelton, McKenzie named back rowers Matt Hodgson and Jake Schatz, as well as Brumbies hooker Josh Mann-Rea, with Queensland rake James Hanson also paying the price for a poor performance in Cape Town.
Only four out of the eight replacement players remain from last week's line-up. As well as White and Horne, props Benn Robinson and Ben Alexander have retained their bench spots.
There was no mention of the Beale incident in the team announcement, but earlier on Wednesday McKenzie conceded the matter was an unwelcome distraction as the side prepared to face a tricky Pumas side.
"I'm always disappointed when you have the distraction of things that aren't football related, of course I'm disappointed, but that doesn't soften the fact that you have to deal with it," he said.
"I've got good staff around and the team business will keep moving. But you take a hit, there's no doubt you take a hit to your rhythm and routine and whatever, but that doesn't give you an excuse to leave things unattended to, or not deal with it, so we deal with it."
It is the first incident to come to light since six players were suspended for one test, and a further nine reprimanded, after a drunken night out in Dublin last November.
The suspensions robbed the Wallabies of five of their starting players for the test against Scotland the next week, but the Wallabies managed to re-gather and win 21-15 at Murrayfield.
"The team has to respond and play football, that's what we're here for, that's their job. My job's obviously to manage that primarily but in the end I take seriously the welfare of the players and staff, and I don't leave things unattended."
Australia: James Slipper, Saia Fainga'a, Sekope Kepu, Sam Carter, James Horwill, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper (c), Scott Higginbotham, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Joe Tomane, Matt Toomua, Tevita Kuridrani, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Israel Folau. Reserves: Josh Mann-Rea, Benn Robinson, Ben Alexander, Will Skelton, Jake Schatz, Matt Hodgson, Nic White, Rob Horne
