Coach Felipe Contepomi is spicing up the lineup for Argentina’s rumble with the Springboks in Durban this Saturday, throwing in three new bruisers to the forward pack and opting for a heavy-duty 6-2 bench split. It’s clear, Los Pumas are not just there to participate; they’re there to compete, muscle for muscle.
Pablo Matera makes a roaring comeback to the starting XV at blindside flanker, after his stint off the bench against the Wallabies in Sydney. Joining him in the scrum's second row are the towering figures of Lucas Paulos and Franco Molina, bringing fresh legs and ferocity to the lineup. Meanwhile, Pedro Rubiolo and Guido Petti will be cooling their heels on the bench, ready to inject some vigour in the heat of battle. The bench also welcomes back loose forward Juan Martín González, preparing for a forward-heavy game plan.
The backline remains a steady ship with Santiago Carreras at the helm as flyhalf, steering the same crew that faced off against the Wallabies. On the bench, flyhalf Tomás Albornoz is back, ready to provide some crucial cover for the backs.
"We've stacked our bench with six forwards to directly counter the Springboks’ power game,"
Contepomi revealed, highlighting a strategy focused on physical dominance and resilience.With the stage set in Durban, this matchup promises to be a clash of titans, with both teams not giving an inch. Los Pumas are clearly prepped to challenge the Springboks’ thunder with their own storm.
Argentina Team Lineup:
15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo García, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Lucas Paulos, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Joel Sclavi, 2 Julián Montoya (c), 1 Mayco Vivas.
Bench: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Pedro Rubiolo, 21 Juan Martín González, 22 Simón Benítez Cruz, 23 Tomás Albornoz.