Los Pumas undergo transformation for Nations Championship opener
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi has made wholesale changes for his team’s Nations Championship opener against Scotland.
Only six players have retained their spots following the 27-23 loss away to England in November.
Second-row Matias Alemanno, skipper Montoya, tight-head prop Pedro Delgado, flanker Santiago Grondona, flyhalf Tomas Albornoz and winger Rodrigo Isgro are the six players.
Alemanno will become the fifth player to play 100 games for Argentina.
The 34-year-old made his Test debut in 2014 and will join a select club which includes the retired Nicolas Sanchez and Agustin Creevy as well as flanker Pablo Matera and hooker Julian Montoya, who both start Saturday’s match in Cordoba.
Alemanno, who was born in the city, will partner Guido Petti in the second row with the Harlequins forward set for his 99th Pumas appearance.
“I’m very happy for him,” Montoya told reporters.
“It’s great for him. I don’t have the words to describe what it means.
“Hopefully we can put in a good performance for him.”
Faustino Sanchez Valarolo makes his first Test start with regular inside centres Santiago Chocobares and Justo Piccardo unavailable
Toulouse’s Chocobares and Montpellier Piccardo are being rested having featured in last Saturday’s French Top 14 final.
Valarolo, who turns 22 on Wednesday, is the only member of the matchday squad playing his club rugby in Argentina, with Dogos in Super Rugby Americas.
“He’s been training very well toward his goal, and we’ve prepared him to play a great game,” head coach FContepomi said of Valarolo.
“I’m happy to see him there and hopefully he has an excellent match.”
Another South African in the Scotland history books https://t.co/caga0SBH9C
— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) July 2, 2026
Argentina: 15 Santiago Carreras; 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Faustino Sanchez Valarolo, 11 Mateo Carreras; 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Gonzalo Garcia; 8 Joaquin Oviedo, 7 Santiago Grondona, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti; 3 Pedro Delgado, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Mayco Vivas
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Tomas Rapetti, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Joaquin Moro, 21 Agustin Moyano, 22 Matias Morono, 23 Bautista Delguy
Date: Saturday, July 4
Venue: Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Cordoba
Kick-off: 16.10 (20.10 BST; 19.10 GMT)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referees: Paul Williams (NZR) & Jordan Way (RA)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
