Cubelli, González Iglesias and Senatore Start vs England

Los Pumas Head Coach Daniel Hourcade has made three changes for England. In Argentina’s final test match of the year Tomás Cubelli, Santiago González Iglesias and Leonardo Senatore will all start.

Cubelli replaces Martín Landajo for what is his third start of the year. Landajo has started ten of the twelve prior Pumas matches in 2016. The  Brumbies scrum half will partner Juan Martín Hernández in the halves. The same combination is what played against South Africa in the historic win in Durban in 2015.

In playing fly half Hernández moves in one spot from inside center. Nicolás Sánchez will miss the match altogether which sees Santiago González Iglesias starting in the mid-field. He will partner Matías Moroni in the centers.

Moroni has swapped positions with Matías Orlando. In starting on the right wing Orlando will face Wasps center  Elliot Daly who has also been selected out of position by Eddie Jones. Santiago Cordero and Joaquín Tuculet complete the back-three.

Up front Agustín Creevy will captain the side from hooker. He is to again be joined by Lucas Noguera Paz and Ramiro Herrera in the front-row. Guido Petti and Matías Alemanno will continue their partnership in the absence of Tomás Lavanini.

In the back-row the one change sees Leonardo Senatore earning a start ahead of Facundo Isa. Senatore will join Pablo Matera and Javier Ortega Desio. Isa and Tomás Lezana have both been named as replacement back-rowers with no specialist second-rower selected.

Of the 23 players 21 play their rugby in Argentina. Cubelli plays in Australia while Juan Pablo Estelles does so for the Northampton Saints in England. Estelles will be back in Argentina to play Super Rugby in 2017.

Saturday’s match will be played at Twickenham Stadium in London, England. Kick-off is scheduled for 11:30am Argentine time.

ARGENTINA
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Agustín Creevy (capt.), 3 Ramiro Herrera, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Javier Ortega Desio, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 10 Juan Martín Hernández, 11 Santiago Cordero, 12 Santiago González Iglesias, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Matías Orlando, 15 Joaquín Tuculet

Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Facundo Isa, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 23 Juan Pablo Estelles