Dragon ace Gonzalo Bertranou is named on the bench for Argentina’s side to face Scotland on Saturday – in what will be Michael Cheika’s first match as head coach of the Pumas.
The match will be Argentina’s first home international since they lost 46-13 to South Africa in Salta - the venue for next week’s second Test - in August 2019.
And Cheika, who coached his native Australia for five years from 2014, is expecting Scotland to play a fast game with a lot of emphasis on the counter-attack.
“Scotland have a clear way of playing the game, what they want to create,” he said. “They’re very good attacking the ball on the ground; they’re very good with their counter-attack. They play with a fast tempo - lots of quick lineouts. And they’ve got a good kicking game as well.
“There might be some different players in there, but it will be the same type of game: high tempo, lots of counter-attack. We’ll have to work hard in defence.”
Argentina (v Scotland at the Estadio 23 de Agosto, San Salvador de Jujuy, Saturday - kick-off 8.10pm UK time):
JC Mallia; S Cordero, M Orlando, J de la Fuente, E Boffelli; N Sanchez, T Cubelli; N Tetaz Chaparro, J Montoya (captain), F Gomez Kodela, G Petti, M Alemanno, JM Gonzalez Samso, M Kremer, P Matera.
Replacements: A Creevy, M Vivas, J Sclavi, L Paulos, F Isa, G Bertranou, S Carreras, M Moroni.
