Hasan back to anchor Puma scrum
Loffreda changes three for visit of the All Blacks
Veteran prop Omar Hasan makes a welcome return to the Argentine front row for their one-off Test against New Zealand at the Vélez Sársfield stadium in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
The return of the 54-Test stalwart, at the expense of Martin Scelzo at tighthead prop, is one of three changes made by coach Marcello Loffreda. Scelzo drops down to the bench and Marcos Ayerza drops out of the match-day 22.
The other changes are on the wing, where José María Núñez Piossek comes off the bench to replace Francisco Leonelli in the No.14 jersey and Federico Martín Aramburu takes over from Lucas Borges in the No.11 jersey. Borges drops down to the bench and Leonelli missed the match-day 22 cut altogether.
The return of Hasan is the most significant of the changes.
He missed the first Test against Wales, a fortnight ago, because he was playing for Toulouse in the French club championship Top 14 Final. He was injured in the Final and missed last week's second Test against Wales.
He brings with him not just some much needed bulk, but the experience of 54 tests – the first of which was way back in 1995, against Uruguay.
Argentina: 15 Juan Martin Hernández, 14 José María Núñez Piossek, 13 Gonzalo Tiesi, 12 Felipe Contepomi, 11 Federico Martín Aramburu, 10 Federico Todeschini, 9 Agustín Pichot (captain), 8 Gonzalo Longo, 7 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, 6 Martín Durand, 5 Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, 4 Ignacio Fernández Lobbe, 3 Omar Hasan, 2 Mario Ledesma, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements: 16 Pablo Gambarini, 17 Martín Scelzo, 18 Martín Schusterman, 19 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 20 Nicolas Fernández Miranda, 21 Lucas Borges, 22 Federico Serra.
Date: Saturday, June 24
Kick-off: 20.40 (23.40 GMT)
Venue: Vélez Sársfield, Buenos Aires
Referee: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England), Eric Darrière (France)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Assessor: Frans Muller (South Africa)
