BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina made five changes to their team to take on France in Buenos Aires on Saturday in the second of their two test series, coach Felipe Contepomi announced on Thursday.
Argentina were handed a surprise 28-13 defeat by an under-strength and inexperienced French side in the first test in Mendoza last weekend in Contepomi’s first match in charge.
Franco Molina, who came off the bench for his first cap last weekend, gets a start in the second row alongside Lucas Paulos as he replaces Matias Alemanno, with Mayco Vivas in for Thomas Gallo in the front row.
Veteran Alemanno and Gallo drop to the bench.
There are three backline changes as Lautaro Bazan Velez is brought in at scrumhalf in place of Gonzalo Bertranou while Santiago Cordero returns at fullback in place of Martin Bogado.
Santiago Chocobares is in at centre as Jeronimo de la Fuente drops out of the match day squad.
The test will mark the 100th cap for flanker Pablo Matera, only the third Argentine to achieve the distinction.
Team:
15-Santiago Cordero, 14-Bautista Delguy, 13-Matias Moroni, 12-Santiago Chocobares, 11-Mateo Carreras, 10-Santiago Carreras, 9-Lautaro Bazan Velez, 8-Joaquin Oviedo, 7-Marcos Kremer, 6-Pablo Matera, 5-Lucas Paulos, 4-Franco Molina, 3-Eduardo Bello, 2-Julian Montoya (c), 1- Mayco Vivas
Replacements: 16-Ignacio Ruiz, 17-Thomas Gallo, 18-Lucio Sordoni, 19-Matias Alemanno, 20-Pedro Rubiolo, 21-Gonzalo Bertranou, 22-Tomas Albornoz, 23-Matias Orlando.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
