Toulouse’s Juan Cruz Mallia and Santiago Chocobares and Racingman Juan Imhoff will start for Argentina against South Africa on Saturday at Ellis Park in Johannesburg during the third and final day of the Rugby Championship.
With four changes and a player moved from the XV who narrowly beat Australia 34-31 last Saturday in Sydney, coach Michael Cheika has decided to reshuffle the back line of his Argentinian XV against the South Africans.
In addition to rear Mallia, center Chocobares and winger Imhoff, all residents of the Top 14, scrum half Lautaro Bazan Velez will also start.
In order to allow Imhoff to occupy the left wing, Cheika additionally slid Matteo Carreras to the right flank of the South American three-quarter line.
The pack is almost identical to that having rubbed shoulders with the Wallabies: the tenure of Lucas Paulos in place of Matias Alemanno in the second row is the only change there.
This test comes just over a month before the World Cup, organized in France from September 8 to October 28, where South Africa, defending champion, will play in the first round in Pool B with Ireland. , Scotland, Romania and Tonga, and Argentina in Pool D with England, Japan, Samoa and Chile.
Argentina squad roster against South Africa:
Mallia – M. Carreras, Cinti, Chocobares, Imhoff – (o) S. Carreras, (m) Bazan Velez – Grondona, Gonzalez, Matera – Lavanini, Paulos – Gomez Kodela, Montoya (cap), Gallo
Substitutes: Ruiz, Chaparro, Sclavi, Rubiolo, Isa, Bertranou, Albornoz, Moroni