Hernández back to face Boks
The versatile back and survivor from the 2007 and 2011 World Cup campaigns gets his first start this season in Durban ahead of underachieving flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez.
Leading 2014 Rugby Championship points scorer Sanchez ignored a ball-in-hand plan several times against the Wallabies and his aimless field kicks triggered two counter-attack tries.
Pumas skipper and hooker Agustín Creevy was blunt in his analysis: "There were moments when we had the ball and did not know what to do with it.
"We kicked, gave possession away, and conceded two tries. We have to improve collectively and individually against the Springboks."
Many changes were on the cards as coach Daniel Hourcade left out nine of the starters from the Rugby Championship loss against Australia – when he named a 26-man squad for the trip to South African.
Another two of those who began a Test lost 9-34 to the Wallabies – inside centre Juan Pablo Socino and scrumhalf Martin Landajo – failed to retain their places.
Hourcade said before the Southern Hemisphere championship that he would rotate his squad, but 11 changes also suggests unhappiness with the whipping by the Wallabies.
Left wing Juan Imhoff is the only one of the seven backs who started in Mendoza two Saturdays ago to survive the purge.
Out go fullback Santiago Cordero, right wing Gonzalo Camacho, centres Matias Moroni and Socino, flyhalf Sanchez and scrumhalf Martin Landajo.
And in come Joaquin Tuculet, Horacio Agulla, Marcelo Bosch, Jerónimo De la Fuente, Hernández and Tomas Cubelli.
Loosehead prop Marcos Ayerza and Creevy remain in the front row and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro replaces injured tighthead Ramiro Herrera.
Guido Petti Pagadizabal takes over from Manuel Carizza and fellow lock Tomas Lavanini is the third forward to keep his slot after the Mendoza mauling.
A new back row of flanks Pablo Matera and Juan Manuel Leguizamon and No.8 Leonardo Senatore succeeds Javier Ortega Desio, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Facundo Isa.
South Africa have triumphed 18 times and drawn once in 19 Tests against Argentina since 1993, scoring an average of 38 points per match and conceding 19.
Argentina: 15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Horacio Agulla, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Jerónimo De la Fuente, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Juan Martín Hernández, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti Pagadizabal, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustín Creevy (captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Lucas Noguera, 18 Matías Díaz, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Tomas Lezana, 21 Martín Landajo, 2 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.
Date: Saturday, August 8
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT, 12.05 Argentina time)
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: JP Doyle (England), Marius Mitrea (Italy)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Agence France-Presse
