SYDNEY - Santiago Chocobares will make his Test debut for Argentina against New Zealand this weekend after being named at inside centre in coach Mario Ledesma's starting line-up for the Tri-Nations clash.
The 21-year-old Jaguares back was one of three uncapped players named in the Pumas match-day squad along with flanker Santiago Grondona and fellow centre Lucio Cinti, who could make their debuts off the bench.
Chocobares will line up with Matias Orlando in midfield at Western Sydney Stadium on Saturday outside the experienced halfback pairing of scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli and flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez.
Pablo Matera will captain the side from blindside flanker as the Pumas play their first test since their last match at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, where they failed to progress from the pool stage.
Unlike their Tri-Nations rivals New Zealand and Australia, the Argentines have not played any competitive rugby since the Super Rugby competition was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic in mid-March.
¡Equipo confirmado para el debut del #PersonalTriNations! Así formará el equipo este sábado ante @allblacks. #VamosLosPumas pic.twitter.com/JLjx5me6NO
— Los Pumas (@lospumas) November 12, 2020
Pumas
15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (capt), 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chapparo.
Bench: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Santiago Grondona, 20 Tomas Lezana, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Lucio Cinti, 23 Santiago Cordero.
Reuters