PARIS (Reuters) -Argentina have shifted around their loose forward trio for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Wales and brought back veteran scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli in two changes from last weekend’s win over Japan, coach Michael Cheika announced on Thursday.
Pablo Matera tore his hamstring in the 39-27 win in Nantes that ensured Argentina’s progress to the knockout stages, ending his participation at the tournament in France, and is replaced by Facundo Isa in the team.
But Isa will play at number eight against Wales with Juan Martin Gonzalez moving to the open side in place of Matera for the clash in Marseille.
Cubelli replaces Gonzalo Bertranou in an intriguing selection gamble, with the Welsh-based Bertranou dropping out of the matchday 23 and Lautaro Bazan Velez remaining as replacement scrumhalf on the bench for a third successive game.
Cubelli was the undisputed first-choice scrumhalf for the Pumas between 2017 and 2021 but he was sidelined after suffering a torn left thigh muscle before Scotland’s tour of Argentina last year.
He has since played intermittently for the Pumas, struggling with the same injury and had to do a lot of physical work to get into condition before the World Cup started.
The 34-year-old missed Argentina’s opening Pool D game against England but came off the bench against Samoa and started against Chile where he played 46 minutes. But he was back in the stands last weekend against Japan.
Argentina team:
15-Juan Cruz Mallia, 14-Emiliano Boffelli, 13-Lucio Cinti, 12-Santiago Chocobares, 11-Mateo Carreras, 10-Santiago Carreras, 9-Tomas Cubelli, 8-Facundo Isa, 7-Marcos Kremer, 6-Juan Martin Gonzalez, 5-Tomas Lavanini, 4-Guido Petti, 3-Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2-Julian Montoya (captain), 1-Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16-Agustín Creevy, 17-Joel Sclavi, 18-Eduardo Bello, 19-Matias Alemanno, 20-Rodrigo Bruni, 21-Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22-Nicolas Sanchez, 23-Matías Moroni.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Paris; Editing by Toby Davis)
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