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The Argentina XV face Racing 92 in a ‘next of xv’ vs Top 14 battle on Friday. The unique fixture is a part of the inaugural Summer Rugby Cup in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The Argentina XV go into the match with their confidence shattered. The Ignacio Fernández Lobbe coached side fell to a 23-22 defeat against the Georgia XV on Saturday and also lost their prior match, falling 36-33 to Brazil.
A commonality from both performances was losing after having held a notable lead. Against the Georgia XV the Argentina XV were 15 points ahead at half time while the led Brazil by 30 points at one time. In what can only be described as a second half meltdown, the Argentina XV now face stiffer opposition and will need an 80 minute performance to come away with a victory.
The match falls just two days after the naming of Mario Ledesma as Head Coach of Los Pumas. It also takes place 15 days before the Rugby Championship opening round fixture against South Africa in Durban.
With Ledesma’s only players from outside of Argentina set to be props the match against Racing 92 is highly significant for the players involved. Yet, even the props involved in the Rugby Summer Cup will have the means of pressing their claims for selection.
Ledesma has ten matches in 2018, nine of which are tests with the Barbarians fixture in December closing the year. Playing in the Rugby Championship and touring Europe in November will require the consideration of no fewer than three players per position.
Against Racing 92 Fernández Lobbe has made eleven changes. The four players retained in the same positions against the Georgia XV are hooker Diego Fortuny, second-rower Ignacio Larrague, center Santiago Resino and Facundo Cordero.
The wholesale changes see Tomás Cubelli and Juan Cruz Mallía starting as the halves. With both expected to play in the Rugby Championship it is far beyond being a trial or an experiment. Malliá will play fly half despite having been a wing and fullback for Los Jaguares.
Cubelli replaces Felipe Ezcurra while the selection of Mallía sees Lucas Mensa moving to his natural position of center. With an eye to Los Pumas Mallía wearing 10 is a calculated gamble as Nicolás Sánchez is departing for France following the November Internationals and existing options in Argentina are uncapped.
The remainder of the side lack Super Rugby experience in 2018. Both Rodrigo Bruni and Santiago Portillo are potential Pumas this year. The former moves from no 8 to flanker to face Racing 92 with the latter named to start at the back of the scrum.
Playing opposite Santiago Portillo will be Jordan Joseph. The son of Haitian parents, Jordan was a star for France at the Junior World Championship in May and June of this year.
Jordan is to be joined by leading French flanker Wenceslas Lauret in the back-row. Additional French capped players starting are Eddy Ben Arous and Henry Chavancy.
International flavor in the side stands out in the back-three. Argentina, Ireland and New Zealand combine as Juan Imhoff, Simon Zebo, and Joe Rokocoko start against their young Argentina XV opponents. Imhoff will have the added honor of playing as Racing 92’s captain.
Scotland fly half Finn Russell, Samoan hooker Ole Avei, and Tongan prop Ben Tameifuna also all start. Uncapped scrum-half Teddy Iribaren would have plenty of caps for virtually any country other than France. He starts opposite Cubelli in Tbilisi.
The match will be the first in history between the Argentina XV and Racing 92. The Argentina XV is the rebranded name for the team previously known as the Argentina Jaguares or Argentina ‘A’. Under those names the side has played Top 14 opposition in the past but nothing in recent years.
The team named by Racing 92 is a formidable opposition for the Argentina XV. Based on the personal, last Saturday’s win over Brazil and the form and status of the Argentina XV all signs point to a Racing 92 victory. Racing 92 are favorites to win by 15 points.
ARGENTINA XV
15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Leopoldo Herrera, 13 Santiago Resino, 12 Lucas Mensa, 11 Facundo Cordero, 10 Juan Cruz Mallía, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Santiago Portillo, 7 Lautaro Bavaro, 6 Rodrigo Bruni, 5 Ignacio Larrague, 4 Federico Gutiérrez, 3 Lucas Favre, 2 Diego Fortuny, 1 Franco Brarda
Replacements: 16 Agustín Maceiras, 17 Nicolás Leiva, 18 Marco Ciccioli, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Francisco Gorrisen, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Gastón Arias, 23 Julián Domínguez, 24 Santiago Grondona
RACING 92
15 Simon Zebo, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Olivier Klemenczak, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Juan Imhoff (capt.), 10 Finn Russell, 9 Teddy Iribaren, 8 Jordan Joseph, 7 Baptiste Chouzenoux, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Edwin Maka, 4 Boris Palu, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Ole Avei, 1 Eddy Ben Arous
Replacements: 16 Hissan Hamel, 17 Guram Gogichashvili, 18 Donnacha Ryan, 19 Esteban Abadie, 20 Xavier Chauveau, 21 Léonard Paris, 26 Antonie Claassen, 28 Ben Volavola
Date: Friday, August 03
Venue: Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi
Kickoff: 7pm local (11am Eastern, 12pm Argentina)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistants: Shota Tevzadze (Georgia), Sulkhan Chikhladze (Georgia)
TMO: Saba Abulashvili (Georgia)
Broadcast: Facebook
