Rugby Championship
Argentina make 11 changes to starting XV
ESPN Staff
August 7, 2015
Rugby Championship Preview: South Africa v Argentina

Argentina have recalled Juan Martin Hernandez as one of 11 changes to the starting line-up to face South Africa after their heavy loss to Australia in Mendoza. The veteran of the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cup campaigns gets his first start this season in Durban ahead of underachieving five-eighth Nicolas Sanchez, who ignored a ball-in-hand plan several times against the Wallabies and his aimless field kicks triggered two counter-attack tries.

Pumas skipper and hooker Agustin Creevy was blunt in his analysis: "There were moments when we had the ball and did not know what to do with it. We kicked, gave possession away, and conceded two tries. We have to improve collectively and individually against the Springboks."

Argentina's Juan Martin Hernandez gets back into the swing of things at training, Durban, South Africa, August 3, 2015
Juan Martin Hernandez © Getty Images
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Many changes were on the cards as coach Daniel Hourcade left out nine of the starters against Australia when he named a 26-man squad for the Pumas final Rugby Championship match of the season, and left winger Juan Imhoff is the only backs who started in Mendoza to survive the purge.

Fullback Santiago Cordero, right winger Gonzalo Camacho, centres Matias Moroni and Juan Pablo Socino, five-eighth Sanchez and scrum-half Martin Landajo are replaced by Joaquin Tuculet, Horacio Agulla, Marcelo Bosch, Jeronimo De la Fuente, Hernandez and Tomas Cubelli respectively.

Up front, Loose-head prop Marcos Ayerza and hooker are joined by Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, who replaces injured tight-head Ramiro Herrera. Guido Petti Pagadizabal takes over from Manuel Carizza in the second-row, where Tomas Lavanini keeps his spot after the Mendoza mauling. A new back-row of flankers Pablo Matera and Juan Manuel Leguizamon and No.8 Leonardo Senatore succeeds Javier Ortega Desio, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Facundo Isa.

Argentina: Joaquin Tuculet, Horacio Agulla, Marcelo Bosch, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Juan Imhoff, Juan Martin Hernandez, Tomas Cubelli; Leonardo Senatore, Juan Leguizamon, Pablo Matera, Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti Pagadizabal, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Agustin Creevy (captain), Marcos Ayerza, Replacements: Julian Montoya, Lucas Noguera Paz, Matias Diaz, Matias Alemanno, Tomas Lezana, Martin Landajo, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.

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