Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi said on Thursday he had full confidence in his inexperienced half-backs for their final Rugby Championship match against South Africa on Saturday in London.
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Scrumhalf Simon Benitez Cruz will make just his second Test start, coming in for the injured Gonzalo Garcia.
Flyhalf Geronimo Prisciantelli makes his full Argentina debut as Contepomi reshuffles the Pumas’ back-line, with Santiago Carreras moving from flyhalf to fullback.
Tomas Albornoz, another outside-half, is unavailable through injury, having been on the bench during last week’s heavy 67-30 loss to the 2023 Rugby World Cup winners in Durban.
‘Training all the time’
“A nine and 10 left our camp but it’s not that we’ve recalled guys just for this week, they’re guys who have been training with us all the time,” Contepomi told reporters.
“Some of them played in the other games.
“We feel they have good energy, they are up for the challenge, mentally and physically and technically they’re ready for it.”
Newcastle’s Cruz and Racing 92 player Prisciantelli are two of seven changes for Saturday’s game at Twickenham.
Clermont winger Bautista Delguy and Montpellier centre Justo Piccardo are the other alterations among the backs.
New partnership
Up front, there is a new second-row partnership in Pedro Rubiolo and Guido Petti, while Santiago Grondona is in at No 8.
The game is being played in London as the UAR seeks to capitalise on a large South African and South American presence in the city.
“It’s weird to call it a home game in London,” former Argentina flyhalf Contepomi said.
“Playing at Twickenham, it’s one of the best stadiums in the world playing against the world champions.
“There will be a lot of South Africans and there will be Argentines as well, it doesn’t matter the numbers, they will be very noisy.”
Contepomi’s side are unable to win the Rugby Championship, but the Springboks are top of the table, a point of ahead of New Zealand, who face Australia in Perth on Saturday at 11:45 (SA time).
TEAMS
Argentina
15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Justo Piccardo, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Juan Cruz Mallia, 10 Geronimo Prisciantelli, 9 Simon Cruz Benitez, 8 Santiago Grondona, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Joel Sclavi, 2 Julián Montoya (captain), 1 Mayco Vivas
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Juan Gonzalez, 21 Joaquín Oviedo, 22 Agustin Moyano, 23 Rodrigo Isgro
South Africa
15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Jesse Kriel
Date: Saturday, 4 October
Venue: Allianz Stadium, London
Kick-off: 15:00 (SA time)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
