Rookie centre to make Argentina debut

Jaguares centre Santiago Chocobares will make his Test debut in Argentina’s Tri-Nations opener against the All Blacks on Saturday.

The All Blacks are set to take on Argentina on Saturday, in what will be Los Pumas’ first Test since the 2019 World Cup group stages.

The Argentinians played two warm-up matches against an Australia XV, featuring several fringe Wallabies,  and were able to win the first match 19-15 before claiming a 57-24 victory in the second, which consisted of three 30-minute periods.

However, they will face a very different contest against an All Blacks side which is coming off an intense four-Test Bledisloe Cup series against the Wallabies.

Argentina coach Mario Ledesma has named three new faces in the match-day 23 to face the All Blacks at Bankwest Stadium.

21-year-old centre Chocobares, who has played just three games for the Jaguares in Super Rugby, will debut in a midfield partnership with Matias Orlando.

Loose forward Santiago Grondona and centre Lucio Cinti are also set to make their Test debuts from the bench.

Argentina –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 (c), 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chapparo.
Subs: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Santiago Grondona, 20 Tomas Lezana, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Lucio Cinti, 23 Santiago Cordero.

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images