London - Argentina, with injuries to four leading players, have made nine changes for the Rugby World Cup third-place playoff against South Africa at Olympic Park on Friday.
Coach Daniel Hourcade named a team on Wednesday, captained by flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez, with a future ring about it, especially in midfield. Old hands Horacio Agulla and Juan Manuel Leguizamon also return.
“The changes have been forced on us by injuries and we have also analysed the huge workload of some players given that we have two days less rest than before our previous matches,” Hourcade told the Argentine Rugby Union.
Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, an early replacement for wing Juan Imhoff during Argentina's bruising 29-15 semi-final defeat by Australia at Twickenham on Sunday, comes in at fullback to replace Joaquin Tuculet, who suffered a shoulder injury.
Agulla, a veteran of the 2007 bronze medal team in what is surely his last Pumas test, stands in for wing Imhoff who suffered a knock to his head in the first half on Sunday.
Also out are hooker Agustin Creevy and veteran centres Juan Martin Hernandez and Marcelo Bosch with Matias Moroni back for a youthful centre partnership with Jeronimo de la Fuente.
Julian Montoya replaces captain Creevy in the front row while Leguizamon, another of the 2007 vintage, returns at number eight after being out of action since suffering an injury during the pool stage nearly four weeks ago.
Agulla and flanker Juan Fernandez Lobbe will be facing South Africa for the second time at a World Cup having been part of the team that lost their semi-final in France in 2007.
Team: 1-Marcos Ayerza, 2-Julian Montoya, 3-Ramiro Herrera, 4-Matias Alemanno, 5-Tomas Lavanini, 6-Javier Ortega Desio, 7-Juan Fernandez Lobbe, 8-Juan Manuel Leguizamon; 9-Tomas Cubelli, 10-Nicolas Sanchez (captain), 11-Horacio Agulla, 12-Jeronimo de la Fuente, 13-Matias Moroni, 14-Santiago Cordero, 15-Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino
Replacements: 16-Lucas Noguera, 17-Juan Pablo Orlandi, 18-Juan Figallo, 19-Guido Petti, 20-Facundo Isa, 21-Martin Landajo, 22-Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23-Juan Pablo Socino. – Reuters