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Much of Argentina’s team against Scotland may be changed for the series decider. Los Pumas face Scotland in Santiago del Estero on Saturday. The match follows Los Pumas’ win in Jujuy and Scotland’s win in Salta. Five players on the roster have been ruled out of the third test.
The heavy hit includes captain Julián Montoya. He will not compete in Santiago del Estero. This has resulted in a call-up for Santiago Socino. He joins Agustín Creevy and the uncapped Ignacio Ruiz as the hooker options on Michael Cheika’s roster. It comes with Facundo Bosch sidelined following injury for La Rochelle. Socino is in top form. He scored tries against Georgia and Portugal for the Argentina XV.
The four other missing players are backs, though questions remain at prop. This has seen tight head Eduardo Bello added to the roster. Of note is that the Argentina XV had regular tight head under Mario Ledesma, Santiago Medrano as well as Pumas Enrique Pieretto, Facundo Gigena, and Ignacio Calles.
Cheika’s instila roster contained two fly halves – Nicolás Sánchez and Benjamín Urdapilleta. The former started the first test but left injured and did not play in the second. The latter missed both the first and the second test and has been ruled out of the third. Domingo Miotti arrived as cover for the second test but will miss the third.
The loss of Sánchez, Urdapilleta and sees a call-up for the uncapped Tomás Albornoz. The Benetton fly half arrives following his involvement for the Argentina XV against Georgia and Portugal. He converted five tries against Portugal on Saturday.
Miotti’s non-involvement in Santiago del Estero is not due to injury. Both he and Felipe Ezcurra have been left out. Neither player was on the initial roster. With the Argentina XV having completed their tour and now back home, Albornoz and Eliseo Morales will have an opportunity to debut. Morales played for Los Cafeteros Pro in SLAR 2022. He was the stand-out Argentine scrum-half in the league.
Morales receives his call-up with Cheika’s three original Pumas scrum-halves out. Tomás Cubelli missed the Jujuy and Salta test matches as did Lautaro Bazán Vélez while Gonzalo García has undergone surgery. Gonzalo Bertranou went from Argentina XV to Los Pumas and started Both tests. There was no specialist cover in Salta while Felipe Ezcurra was flown in as cover in Salta.
Argentina will also see changes out wide. Santiago Cordero has been ruled out and has been replaced by 2021 Pumas rookie Mateo Carreras. The change comes following a hat-trick scored by Carreras against Portugal last weekend.
