Coach Santiago Phelan made one change to the starting lineup for the World Cup Pool B opening match, recalling outside centre Gonzalo Tiesi in place of Marcelo Bosch.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan made one change to his starting lineup on Tuesday for their World Cup Pool B opening match against England, recalling outside centre Gonzalo Tiesi in place of Marcelo Bosch.
Tiesi, 26, who plays his club rugby with French side Stade Francais, comes into the side after missing Argentina's only Test match this year — a 28-13 defeat by Wales in Cardiff last month.
"We think that this game and at this moment it is the best team we have," Phelan told reporters at the team's base in Dunedin.
Prop Juan Figallo retains his place in the front row with the experienced Martin Scelzo forced to stay on the replacements bench.
"We know he is a young player, but he is developing very well," Phelan said of the 23-year-old who plays his club rugby in France. "He had a very good year in Montpellier and we think he is the best option for the right prop and also he can play left, so Figallo is a very good option.
"We have Scelzo on the bench and that's also a right prop in good condition."
Fly-half Felipe Contepomi captains the side in what will be his fourth World Cup, a feat that will be matched by 38-year-old hooker Mario Ledesma.
Despite being top seeds in Pool B, Argentina are underdogs for the clash at the enclosed Otago Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday after a disrupted World Cup preparation.
The lack of matches, coupled with the loss of their talismanic fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez for the whole tournament, means emulating their surprise third-place finish four years ago will be difficult.
Contepomi was, nonetheless, optimistic.
"We've only played one Test match in the last 11 months, so naturally we're looking forward to growing up as a team throughout the tournament," the fly-half told reporters.
"Our expectation is to come and play our best and if we can be competitive on Saturday, that will be great and start the tournament as best we can."
England manager Martin Johnson names his team for the first big clash of the tournament on Thursday but will not be able to call upon captain Lewis Moody, who was ruled out on Monday after failing to recover from a knee injury.
Team: 15-Martin Rodriguez, 14-Gonzalo Camacho, 13-Gonzalo Tiesi, 12-Santiago Fernandez, 11-Horacio Agulla, 10-Felipe Contepomi (captain), 9-Nicolas Vergallo, 8-Juan Fernandez Lobbe, 7-Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6-Julio Farias Cabello, 5-Patricio Albacete, 4-Manuel Carizza, 3-Juan Figallo, 2-Mario Ledesma, 1-Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements: 16-Agustin Creevy, 17-Martin Scelzo, 18-Mariano Galarza, 19-Alejandro Campos, 20-Alfredo Lalanne, 21-Marcelo Bosch, 22-Juan Jose Imhoff.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}