Argentina coach forced into string of changes for second Test

ARGENTINA coach Marcelo Loffreda has been forced to ring the changes for tomorrow’s second Test with Ireland.

Biarritz trio Marcelo Bosch, Martin Gaitan and Manuel Carizza are ruled out due to club commitments in the French Top 14 semi-finals.

Fly-half Felipe Contepomi, who scored the match-winning drop goal during last weekend’s 22-20 defeat, has also returned to Dublin to graduate in medicine.

Centre Hernan Senillosa, who scored Argentina’s only try in Santa Fe, was initially dropped from the 22-man squad but retains his place in the side.

Perpignan lock Rimas Alvarez and Hindu’s Juan de la Cruz Fernandez Miranda have been included, while Montpellier fly-half Federico Todeschini, who scored 22 points in Argentina’s historic 25-18 victory over England at Twickenham last November, is also available.

Montpellier flanker Martin Durand will captain the Pumas, while hooker Pablo Gambarini replaces Alberto Vernet Basualdo and Federico Serra comes in at full-back.

Number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamon and lock Juan Fernandez Lobbe switch places in a revamped pack, while Tomas de Vedia, who made his senior debut last weekend, will win a second cap.

Bayonne scrum-half Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Agen prop Eusebio Guinazu, Montauban prop Pablo Henn also return following club commitments in France, while Rovigo back Manuel Contepomi and flanker Martin Schusterman also return.

ARGENTINA: F Serra (SIC) T De Vedia (Saracens); H Senillosa (Hindu), M Contepomi (Rovigo), F Leonelli (Glasgow Warriors); F Todeschini (Montpellier), N Fernandez Miranda (Aviron Bayonnais Rugby); M Ayerza (Leicester Tigres), P Gambarini (CASI), S Gonzalez Bonorino (Capitolina), E Lozada (CASI), R Alvarez (Perpignan), M Durand (Montpellier), J Fernandez Lobbe (Sale Sharks), JM Leguizamon (London Irish).