Los Pumas change three for Samoa
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Veteran Matias Moroni was one of three changes made to the Argentina team announced on Wednesday by head coach Michael Cheika to play Samoa in the World Cup this weekend.
The 32-year-old, who is the only Pumas player to play in all six of their Tests this year, comes in at outside centre in place of Lucio Cinti, who drops to the bench compared to the team that lost 10-27 to 14-man England in their opener.
Eduardo Bello replaces Francisco Gomez Kodela at tighthead prop and Guido Petti comes into the second row as Tomas Lavanini misses out on the matchday 23 for Friday’s Pool D clash in Saint-Etienne.
Gomez Kodela is on the bench where prop Mayco Vivas was preferred to Joel Scalvi.
Veteran flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez and scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli are on the bench but Lautaro Bazan Velez misses out.
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou,8 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Eduardo Bello, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 19 Pedro Rubiolo, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Lucio Cinti.
Date: Friday, September 22
Venue: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne
Kick-off: 17.45 (15.45 GMT; 12.45 ART; 04.45 Saturday, September 23 WST)
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
