(Reuters) – Argentina captain Julian Montoya has recovered from injury and will lead the Pumas when they attempt to earn successive wins over the All Blacks for the first time in Saturday’s Rugby Championship test.
Montoya was sidelined for last weekend’s 38-30 triumph over New Zealand in Wellington because of a rib injury, but will start in place of Ignacio Ruiz in the middle of the front row in Auckland.
The All Blacks are unbeaten in 51 tests going back to 1994 at their Eden Park fortress and there was no room for sentiment in coach Felipe Contepomi’s selection.
Ruiz was named as replacement hooker meaning there was no room in the squad for Agustin Creevy, the 39-year-old who scored the winning try in Wellington last week and was the only survivor of Argentina’s previous visit to Eden Park in 2011.
While he has kept his backline intact, Contepomi has rejigged his pack by promoting Joaquin Oviedo from the bench and starting him at number eight.
Juan Martin Gonzalez switches to openside flanker to accommodate Oviedo and Marcos Kremer moves forward into the second row along with Pedro Rubiolo.
Lock Franco Molina has been dropped to the bench, where Contepomi has also added two fresh backs in winger Bautista Delguy and backup flyhalf Tomas Albornoz.
Argentina team:
15-Juan Cruz Mallia, 14-Matias Moroni, 13-Lucio Cinti, 12-Santiago Chocobares, 11-Mateo Carreras, 10-Santiago Carreras, 9-Gonzalo Bertranou, 8-Joaquin Oviedo, 7-Juan Martin Gonzalez, 6-Pablo Matera, 5-Pedro Rubiolo, 4-Marcos Kremer, 3-Lucio Sordoni, 2-Julian Montoya (captain), 1-Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16-Ignacio Ruiz, 17-Mayco Vivas, 18-Joel Sclavi, 19-Franco Molina, 20-Tomas Lavanini, 21-Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22-Tomas Albornoz, 23-Bautista Delguy
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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