Mendez hopes to push Pumas to victory

Argentinian legend Federico Mendez hopes to prove the theory that as with wine, front-row forwards improve with age when he leaves his vineyard to tackle Wales at Tucuman on Saturday.

Mendez, whose career has spanned one year less than record-breaking Wales second-row forward Gareth Llewellyn, packs down in a Puma side shorn of French-based stars such as Stade Francais’ Agustin Pichot and his long-standing rival for the Pumas’ number two jersey, Castres’ Mario Ledesma.

Pichot’s place at scrum-half goes to Matias Albina while Narbonne number eight Gonzalo Longo takes over the captaincy from the flamboyant former Richmond and Bristol number nine.

Mendez makes his 71st appearance 14 years after memorably flattening Paul Ackford at Twickenham while on his first senior foreign tour as an 18-year-old prop.

Argentina coach coach Marcelo Loffreda said, “Wales improved immensely in the 2003 World Cup and in the Six Nations and even though they have been below Argentina in the world rankings, they will continue with the same style despite the change of coach.

“For us it is good to play outside of Buenos Aires, especially as the people of Tucuman are fanatical about rugby.”

Prop Rodrigo Roncero, who left Gloucester at the end of last season to return to his medical profession in Argentina, will pack down alongside Mendez and Agen’s Omar Hasan, confirming Wales coach Mike Ruddock’s belief that the Pumas intend to give the visitors a testing examination up front.