Cappiello captains Argentina XV against Chile

Juan Cappiello will captain the Argentina XV in their third-round Americas Rugby Championship match against Chile on Saturday. Regular skipper Lautaro Bavaro will start on the bench in Talcahuano after playing all 80 minutes in each of the opening two fixtures against Canada and Uruguay. Head coach Felipe Contepomi has opted to rotate virtually his entire lineup against Los Cóndores, with only three players retained from the team that outclassed Los Teros in Bahía Blanca.

Santiago Álvarez moves back to the wing from the midfield with Cappiello sliding out one spot to the no13 shirt and Bruno Devoto starting at inside centre. Lautaro Bazán and Juan Cruz González are the new halfback combination, with fellow Pumas 7s internationals Germán Schulz and Fernando Luna completing the outside backs.

Second row Ignacio Larrague is the only forward retained, with top Pumitas prospect Franco Molina getting his first start for the Argentina XV. Nicolas Solveyra, Axel Zapata, and Eduardo Bello form an all-new front row, with Francisco Gorrissen recalled at openside flank and Santiago Montagner tabbed on the blindside after his storming performance as a replacement no8 against Uruguay. San Luis favorite Rodrigo Bruni earns his first international start, running out at the back of the scrum.

Hat-trick hero Sebastián Cancelliere settles for a replacement spot this week, with emerging star Bautista Delguy also tabbed as an impact sub.

ARGENTINA XV
1 Nicolás Solveyra, 2 Axel Zapata, 3 Eduardo Bello, 4 Franco Molina, 5 Ignacio Larrague, 6 Francisco Gorrissen, 7 Santiago Montagner, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Lautaro Bazán, 10 Juan Cruz González, 11 Germán Schulz, 12 Bruno Devoto, 13 Juan Cappiello (capt.), 14 Santiago Álvarez, 15 Fernando Luna

Replacements: 16 Marcelo Brandi, 17 Francisco Ferronato, 18 Alejo Brem, 19 Pedro Ortega, 20 Lautaro Bavaro, 21 Sebastián Cancelliere, 22 Tomás Granella, 23 Bautista Delguy