Argentine speedster is set to start against New Zealand in Argentina’s opening weekend World Cup fixture. As reported by A Pleno Rugby the 21 year old will be named tomorrow afternoon by Daniel Hourcade in a back-three also containing elusive runners Joaquín Tuculet and Juan Imhoff.
Veteran Horacio Agulla is set to miss out with Lucas González Amorosino on stand-by should Tuculet fail a fitness test. There will, nonetheless, be vast experience in the starting mid-field with Juan Martín Hernández and Marcelo Bosch to be the starting centers.
Hernández will operate as a play-making mid-fielder as Hourcade looks to him for more of the magic that saw Los Pumas defeating South Africa by 12 points in Durban during the Rugby Championship. Inside the 33 year old Hourcade will start Nicolás Sánchez at fly half while Tomás Cubelli is set to get the nod ahead of Martín Landajo to marshall the pack.
Pablo Matera will bring youth to the back-row as he starts with the seasoned Leonardo Senatore and Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe. They will play behind two of Hourcade’s greatest finds Tomás Lavanini and Guido Petti with Mariano Galarza being given more time before starting.
The same applies to Ramiro Herrera who is to be on the bench with Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro to start at tighthead prop in a front-row featuring captain Agustín Creevy and the outstanding Marcos Ayerza.
Argentina vs New Zealand will take place on Sunday at London’s Wembley Stadium.