The Pumas and Scotland have pressed the reset button by making wholesale changes for the Third Test in Santiago.
Scotland announced eight changes and Argentina 12, including one positional shift.
A high number of changes usually indicates rotation of a squad, but Argentina are highly motivated to snatch a first home series in 15 years while Scotland insist the primary aim of the tour is to win the series and not player development.
The first Test in Jujuy was won well by Argentina 26-18, where a big lead was blown before recovering in style.
Knowing Scotland would rally in the second Test in Salta last weekend, Argentina’s promise of improvement never materialised. Argentina were second best in scrums and rucks, slow again out of the gate after half-time, and wasted many chances. Four tries went begging in the second half.
New coach Michael Cheika reacted this week with what he called “a nice mix of opportunity and continuity”.
He kept only lock Guido Petti in the pack, flyhalf Santiago Carreras, centre Matias Orlando in his 50th Test and Emiliano Boffelli, who was switched back to the wing from fullback.
Injuries ruled out picking captain and hooker Julian Montoya, wing Santiago Cordero, flyhalf Benjamin Urdapilleta and backup halves Felipe Ezcurra and Domingo Miotti.
Montoya will miss his first Test since the 2018 Rugby Championship after 33 straight appearances.
The captaincy has gone to recovered No.8 Pablo Matera [pictured below] after it was stripped from him at the end of 2020 for historical tweets, and the No.2 jersey to former skipper Agustin Creevy for his first start since the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
The Pumas and Scotland have pressed the reset button ahead of the ‘final’ in the provincial city of Santiago del Estero by making unusual wholesale changes.
A high number of changes usually indicates rotation of a squad, but Argentina are highly motivated to snatch a first home series in 15 years while Scotland insist the primary aim of the tour is to win the series and not player development.
The first Test in Jujuy was won well by Argentina 26-18, where a big lead was blown before recovering in style.
Knowing Scotland would rally in the second Test in Salta last weekend, Argentina’s promise of improvement never materialised. Argentina were second best in scrums and rucks, slow again out of the gate after half-time, and wasted many chances. Four tries went begging in the second half.
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matías Orlando, 12 Matías Moroni, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Lautaro Bazán Vélez, 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Santiago Grondona, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Joel Sclavi, 2 Agustín Creevy, 1 Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Juan Martín González Samso, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Tomás Albornoz, 23 Lucio Cinti.
Scotland: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Rufus McLean, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Blair Kinghorn, 9 Ali Price, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Hamish Watson (captain), 6 Rory Darge, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Rory Sutherland.
Replacements: 16 Dave Cherry, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Glen Young, 20 Andy Christie, 21 George Horne, 22 Ross Thompson, 23 Sam Johnson.
