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A year on from shocking the Argentina XV in Buenos Aires Brazil have the opportunity of playing at home against the same team. Will lightening strike twice with Os Tupis again completing a massive win?
The Argentina XV will be looking to prevent a repeat at all costs. For them the motivation is not only to respond for the 2018 loss but also knowing that a bonus point win will give them the 2019 Sudamérica 6 Naciones A title.
Brazil go into the game with five changes from their home defeat against the Uruguay XV. Two of them come in the front-row with Yan Rosetti, and Pedro Bengalo being replaced by Wilton Rebolo, and Caique Silva at hooker, and tight head prop respectively.
In the second-row Gabriel Paganini makes way for Lucas Piero in the only other change to the starting formation from that from last weekend.
The Brazilian backline sees two changes, the come at scrum-half and on the right wing. The former sees veteran Lucas Duque returning in place of Laurent Bourdat while the latter sees Stefano Giantorno named ahead of Ariel Rodrigues.
Argentina XV Head Coach Ignacio Fernández Lobbe has included two Jaguares in his match-day 23. Of them Rodrigo Bruni will start at flanker while Bautista Ezcurra will wear the 23 shirt. Also involved is the 27-time capped Puma Manuel Montero who will start on the left wing.
The side has plenty of fire power with Brazil certain to be put to the test by them. Yet the trio are far from being the only outstanding names in Fernández Lobbe’s team. Captain Francisco Gorrissen has been outstanding in 2019 as have backs Julián Domínguez, Lucas Mensa, and Agustín Segura.
With Martín Roger ruled out through injury the starting fly half will be Tomás Albornoz. This sees the latter moving from fullback which enables Facundo Cordero to start at the back.
Since the creation of the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) in 2016 Brazil has had annual international competition against the Argentina XV. This has come in addition to matches in the South American Championship.
During this period Brazil has upset the odds once, doing so in the 2018 Sudamérica 6 Naciones A. The one fixture since then saw in Patagonia with the Argentina XV powering to a dominant 54-3 victory.
The 2018 result is not expected to be repeated in Belo Horizonte on Saturday. Instead the Argentina XV enter as outright favorites and are expected to win by 35 points.
The match will be streamed live on Brazil Rugby’s facebook page.
TEAMS
BRAZIL
1 Lucas Abud, 2 Wilton Rebolo, 3 Caique Silva, 4 Luiz Vieira, 5 Lucas Piero, 6 Matheus Souza, 7 Cleber Dias, 8 André Arruda, 9 Lucas Duque, 10 Lucas Tranquez, 11 Daniel Silva, 12 De wet van Niekerk, 13 Robert Tenorio, 14 Stefano Giantorno, 15 Daniel Sancery (capt.)
Replacements: 16 Yan Rosseti, 17 João Talamini, 18 Matheus Rocha, 19 Gabriel Paganini, 20 Matteo Dell’acqua, 21 Laurent Bourda-Couhet, 22 Ariel Rodrigues, 23 Lorenzo Massari
ARGENTINA XV
1 Nicolás Solveyra, 2 Diego Fortuny, 3 Martín Segurotti, 4 Jerónimo Ureta, 5 Carlos Repetto, 6 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Francisco Gorrissen (capt.), 8 Santiago Portillo, 9 Gregório del Prete, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 11 Manuel Montero, 12 Lucas Mensa, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Julián Domínguez, 15 Facundo Cordero
Replacements: 16 José González 17 José Corvalán, 18 Lucas Favre, 19 Ignacio Calas, 20 Nicolás Sbrocco, 21 Manuel Nogues, 22 Teo Castiglioni, 23 Bautista Ezcurra
Date: Saturday, May 25
Kick-Off: 4pm
Venue: Estadio Independencia (Belo Horizonte)
Referee: Francisco González (Uruguay)
Assistant Referees: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina), Vinicius Aleixo (Brazil)
