Prop Rodrigo Roncero will start for Argentina in the Pumas’ four-nations Rugby Championship opener against South Africa in Cape Town.
rugbyweek
Former Stade Francais veteran Roncero, 35, will be winning his 50th cap as he looks to bring down the curtain on his career with this tournament.
Ten of the starters played in the World Cup quarter-final loss to New Zealand and eight play in France’s Top 14 league.
Racing-Metro fly half Juan Martin Hernandez, who missed the World Cup through injury, will be back as will third rower Juan Fernandez Lobbe, who succeeds dropped Felipe Contepomi as skipper.
Argentina, making their debut in the Southern Hemisphere tournament formerly known as the Tri-Nations, will then go up against Australia and New Zealand.
Argentina team to play South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town Saturday in first round of inaugural Rugby Championship (formerly Tri-Nations):
Team:
15 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, 14 Gonzalo Camacho, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Santiago Fernandez, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Juan Martin Hernandez, 9 Nicolas Vergallo, 8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Captain), 7 Alvaro Galindo, 6 Julio Farias Cabello, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Manuel Carizza, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Eusebio Guinazu, 1 Rodrigo Roncero
Replacements: 16 Bruno Postiglioni, 17 Marcos Ayerza, 18 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 19 Tomas Leonardi, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Martin Rodriguez
Coach: Santiago Phelan
I personally think that the Pumas are missing a mark here at wing… hell I really rate that Juan Imhoff wing who now plays for racing Metro and who set the Vodacom alight last year (or was it the year before) when the Argentinian side won the Vodacom Cup so easily.
… and he’s improved since then, quite a bit too…
The selection of Rorro Roncero means he will earn his fiftieth cap this Saturday. He will combine with Juan Figallo in the frontrow to reform the combination from last years World Cup. secondrow combination bares no surprizes as the Biarritz-Toulouse combination of Manuel Carizza and Patricio Albacete are set to be the genuine engine room for Argentina this Saturday. Agulla and Camacho in the back-three. Gurruchaga will cover fullback and both centres while Bosch can move to flyhalf, fullback or inside centre, Agulla can move to outside centre or fullback and González Amorosino can move to wing. This means that there is no place for Juan Imhoff which is utterly shocking.
Why he opted for Camacho
Coolest penalty kick ever
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