Argentina have recalled flanker Pablo Matera as part of three changes to their starting XV for Friday’s autumn international match against Ireland in Dublin.
Vice-captain Matera, who was suspended for last week’s 50-18 win over Italy, and lock Guido Petti replace Santiago Grondona and Franco Molina in the Pumas’ forward pack.
Matias Moroni comes in at inside centre for Matias Orlando in the other alteration, while there is no place in the match-day squad for Connacht back Santiago Cordero.
Cordero came off the bench to score the fifth of Argentina’s seven tries during their record win over the Azzurri in Udine.
Asked about the 30-year-old’s omission, head coach Felipe Contepomi said: “No, he’s not injured, actually he’s in great form.
“There are a few changes, but that’s because these guys compete really hard with each other throughout the week and we always try to field the best 23 that we think out of this group of 32 can represent us the best.
“In this case Santi didn’t make it. He had a great game last weekend and we know we can count on him and he’s really training really well, but we made other selections, it’s more tactical around strategy.
“(Francisco Gomez) Kodela has come back and we think he can give us something from the bench.”
Argentina, who finished fourth at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, have beaten France, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in recent months.
Los Pumas are currently fifth in the world rankings.
Former Leinster player and coach Contepomi, who stepped up from attack coach to replace Michael Cheika following last year’s global tournament in France, said: “Results gives you confidence, definitely.
“But, for us, the progress is trying to do what we say we are going to do or what we train to do and then go and do it on match day.
“That’s the tough thing in rugby or in any sport. So for us the confidence comes in doing.
“We evaluate maybe different to how people from the outside evaluate us. I know you go a lot on results, we go more on performance and we have certain things that we look at that it doesn’t matter about results.”
— Los Pumas (@lospumas) November 13, 2024
Argentina team to play Ireland
Forwards: 1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julián Montoya (Captain), 3 Joel Sclavi, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Juan Martín González, 8 Joaquín Oviedo
Backs: 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 11 Bautista Delguy, 12 Matías Moroni, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Ignacio Calles, 18 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Santiago Grondona, 21 Gonzalo García, 22 Santiago Carreras, 23 Justo Piccardo