Creevy leads Pumas against South Africa

Agustín Creevy will win his 50th test cap when he leads out Argentina against South Africa at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday. The veteran hooker leads a side that shows five changes to the starting team that was shut out by France in Tucumán on June 25.

Joining Creevy up front will be two specialist tighthead props. The first Rugby Championship without Marcos Ayerza sees Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro moving to the left side of the front row. It does not come as a surprise as they played this way against France in June. Ruled out is Lucas Noguera Paz whose injury concerns continue to trouble him. With Santiago García Botta also unavailable Daniel Hourcade has named youngsters Felipe Arregui and Enrique Pieretto on the bench. Arregui will make his test debut while Pieretto will earn his fourth cap.

In the second row Hourcade has opted for grunt. This sees Guido Petti on the bench with Tomás Lavanini instead being joined by Matías Alemanno in the engine room. Veteran Juan Manuel Leguizamón will start at flanker and be joined by fellow Santiago del Estero product Facundo Isa in the back row. Pablo Matera continues on the side of the scrum in a powerful loose forward trio.

Martín Landajo has been prefered to Tomás Cubelli at scrumhalf. He will partner Nicolás Sánchez and Juan Martín Hernández will act as a second playmaker in the midfield. Inexperience outside Hernández sees Matías Orlando making his first Rugby Championship appearance. Orlando is the only specialist Jaguares outside center available, with Matías Moroni rested following his participation in the Olympic Games and Jerónimo de la Fuente injured.

Completing the starting lineup is a back three of flair. Joaquín Tuculet will play fullback with Manuel Montero and Santiago Cordero playing on the wings. Ramiro Moyano has been picked ahead of Lucas González Amorosino as the replacement outside back. The match is to be the first between the two sides in South Africa since Argentina’s sensational 37-25 victory in Durban a year ago.

ARGENTINA
1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustín Creevy (capt.), 3 Ramiro Herrera, 4 Matías Alemanno, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 8 Facundo Isa, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 11 Manuel Montero, 12 Juan Martín Hernández, 13 Matías Orlando, 14 Santiago Cordero, 15 Joaquín Tuculet

Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Felipe Arregui, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Ramiro Moyano