After the loss to Ireland in Dublin (42-12), Los Pumas have confirmed the team to play Italy at the Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa, on November 14.
It will be the second match of the Northern Series of the Nations Championship for Felipe Contepomi's team, who will then visit France in Paris (21/11) and will play the weekend of finals in Twickenham, London (27, 28 and 29/11).
The Pumas face Gonzalo Quesada's Italy, who are coming off a 7-66 loss to South Africa in Turin. Italy and Argentina have played a total of 24 matches, with 18 wins for Argentina, 5 defeats and one draw. The last meeting was in November 2024 in Udine, with Argentina winning 50-18. In Genoa, Los Pumas won the two games they played: 39-22 in 2005 and 20-18 in 2014.
Felipe Contepomi made five changes to the starting line-up compared to the match against Ireland.
In the forwards, Bautista Bernasconi will replace Julián Montoya, who will not be able to be in the game due to the blow to the head suffered in the last match.
In addition, in the back row includes Joaquín Moro and Juan Martín Scelzo, who take the place of Marcos Kremer [with a sprain in his right ankle] and Juan Martín González, who will wait his turn on the substitutes' bench this week.
In turn, Pablo Matera [pictured] will play as No. 6 and will be the captain of the team.
As for the backs, Simón Benítez Cruz will wear the No. 9 shirt, instead of Gonzalo García. Fullback Juan Cruz Mallía is also injured so Rodrigo Isgró moves into the team on the wing and Bautista Delguy moves to fullback.
Los Pumas' line-up for Italy Test in Genoa:
1. WENGER, Boris (12 caps)
2. BERNASCONI, Bautista (3 caps)
3. MORENO, Francisco (4 caps)
4. PETTI, Guido (105 caps)
5. RUBIOLO, Pedro (32 caps)
6. MATERA, Pablo (128 caps) – Captain
7. MORO, Joaquín (8 caps)
8. SCELZO, Juan Martín (3 caps)
9. BENÍTEZ CRUZ, Simón (16 caps)
10. ALBORNOZ, Tomás (25 caps) – Vice-captain
11. CARRERAS, Mateo (37 caps)
12. CHOCOBARES, Santiago (36 caps)
13. PICCARDO, Justo (14 caps)
14. ISGRÓ, Rodrigo (20 caps)
15. DELGUY, Bautista (43 caps)
Replacements:
16. BOSCH, Facundo (13 caps)
17. VIVAS, Mayco (45 caps)
18. SCLAVI, Joel (33 caps)
19. ELIAS, Ephraim (7 chapters)
20. GONZÁLEZ, Juan Martín (52 caps) – Vice-captain
21. ISA, Facundo (53 caps)
22. GARCÍA, Gonzalo (20 caps) – Vice-captain
32. PRISCIANTELLI, Gerónimo (7 caps)
Italy: 15 Tommaso Allan, 14 Ange Capuozzo, 13 Paolo Odogwu, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Ross Vintcent, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera (captain), 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Muhamed Hasa, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Enoch Opoku Gyamfi, 20 Alessandro Ortombina, 21 Samuele Locatelli, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Federico Mori.
