Argentina have dumped both their starting wingers as they aim for a maiden Rugby Championship victory on Saturday night against the Wallabies on the Gold Coast.
The Pumas have made three changes to the run-on side which fell 28-9 to the All Blacks last weekend, with suspended lock Tomas Lavanini replaced by the youthful Matias Alemanno in the only alteration to their powerful forward pack.
smh
Wingers Horacio Agulla and Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino have paid the price for disappointing games in Napier, axed in favour of Juan Imhoff and Manuel Montero.
Coach Daniel Hourcade has stuck with his dangerous halves pairing of Martin Landajo and Nicolas Sanchez, who has proven to be their most damaging attacker from No.10.
Although Argentina have suffered three straight losses, they pushed South Africa all the way in their opening two Tests and conceded a heart-breaking late penalty goal to lose 33-31 in Salta.
The Pumas last triumphed over the Wallabies in 1997 and it’s been more than 30 years since they’ve beaten them in Australia.
But they were unlucky to lose by one point in the rain in Perth last year before the Wallabies pounded them 54-17 in the return match in Rosario.
Argentina’s strength remains in their scrum where they aim to dominate through their punishing front-row of Ramiro Herrera, captain Agustin Creevy and in-form loosehead Marcos Ayerza.
The Pumas also boast back-row strength with No.8 Leonardo Senatore, Juan Manuel Leguizamon and former skipper Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.
Hourcade has also promoted three new faces to the bench with flyhalf Jeronimo De La Fuente, prop Bruno Postiglioni and second-rower Benjamin Macome called up.
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Juan Imhoff, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Juan Martin Hernandez, 11 Manuel Montero, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Mariano Galarza, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy (Captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza
Replacements: 16 Matias Cortese, 17 Bruno Postiglioni, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Benjamin Macome, 20 Rodrigo Baez, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Jeronimo De la Fuente, 23 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.