Pumas opt for stability
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has named a settled side for their clash with the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday.
Veteran prop Rodrigo Roncero will earn his 50th Test cap, and he is joined in the starting line-up by 11 other players who featured at the World Cup in New Zealand last year.
Elsewhere in the forward pack the experienced pair of captain Juan Martin Fernández Lobbe and lock Patricio Albacete will be keen to set the tone up front whilst there are a number of exciting players in the backline.
The classy former Sharks flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez returns to the team for his first Test match since 2009 and he will look to control things behind the scrum and create some space for dangerous runners such as centre Marcelo Bosch, wing Horacio Agulla and fullback Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.
Argentina come into their first Rugby Championship match having secured victories over both France and Italy in June, and they will be keen to make a big impact in their debut in the competition at Newlands on Saturday.
Argentina: 15 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, 14 Gonzalo Camacho, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Santiago Fernández, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Juan Martin Hernandez, 9 Nicolas Vergallo, 8 Juan Martin Fernández Lobbe (captain), 7 Alvaro Galindo, 6 Julio Farias Cabello, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Manuel Carizza, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Eusebio Guiñazu, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements: 16 Bruno Postiglioni, 17 Marcos Ayerza, 18 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 19 Tomás Leonardi, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Martín Rodríguez.
Date: Saturday, August 18
Venue: Newlands, Cape town
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garces (France), John Lacey (Ireland)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
