With Dave Dennis among six players to have returned to Sydney for the Wallabies training camp, Pat McCutcheon will wear the captain’s armband for the first time this weekend when he leads out a new-look side against an international team that boasts a combined total of 437 caps in the starting XV, in the second and final match of the two-week tour.
Making their state debuts in the pack in Salta will be 19-year-old Australian U20s and Gordon flanker Jack Dempsey and NSW’s 2014 recruit Tala Gray, who starts at No. 8.
Retaining their partnership in the second row are Will Skelton and Mitchell Chapman, who will pack down behind a reshuffled front row of Jeremy Tilse, Luke Holmes and Sam Talakai, the latter becoming NSW player #1607 when he made his official NSW debut against the Force back in June.
There are four newcomers in the backline, with Ben Volavola taking over from Bernard Foley at flyhalf alongside incoming scrumhalf Matt Lucas. Club rugby’s third-highest try-scorer this year, West Harbour winger Alofa Alofa, makes his first NSW appearance on the left wing, with Randwick’s Terrence Hepetema earning his first start at 12, after making his Super Rugby debut from the bench in June. The experienced Rob Horne reverts to outside centre, with Cam Crawford and Drew Mitchell retaining their places in the back three.
Accommodated on an extended bench are Penrith hooker Kerren Straker and Newcastle Waratahs scrumhalf Auvasa Falealii, both of whom will wear the sky blue for the first time if they take to the field in Salta. Also named is former Australia A, NSW, Bath Rugby and Montpellier back Matt Carraro, who joined the squad for the final week of tour.
Announced overnight, the Pumas starting team contains six changes to the side that narrowly won the first match, 29-27. Led once again by the formidable Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, the side boasts a combined total of 437 caps, with 81 of those coming from the inclusion of veteran centre Felipe Contepomi, who takes over at 12. Double try scorer Agustín Creevy starts at hooker in place of Bath Rugby’s Eusebio Guiñazú and Juan Manuel Leguizamón is preferred at openside.
The Argentina v NSW Barbarians match kicks off at 9.10am AEST on Saturday August 10 (8.10pm Friday local time). It was shown live last week here http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/videohub/video/ but a link to a live internet stream of the match will also be posted on the www.waratahs.com.au homepage prior to kick off on Saturday morning. Those will be able to watch the highlights from both Argentina matches on www.waratahs.com.au or Tah TV, the NSW Waratahs’ YouTube channel.
See highlights of last weekend’s match at the bottom of this page.
[one_half last=”no”]
NSW Barbarians
Saturday August 10, 2013 (9.10am AEST)
Estadio Padre Martearena, Salta
1. Jeremy Tilse (Sydney University)
2. Luke Holmes (Warringah)
3. Sam Talakai (Sydney University)
4. Will Skelton (Sydney University)
5. Mitchell Chapman (Eastern Suburbs)
6. Jack Dempsey (Gordon)
7. Pat McCutcheon (Sydney University, captain)
8. Tala Gray (Eastern Suburbs)
9. Matt Lucas (Manly)
10. Ben Volavola (Southern Districts)
11. Alofa Alofa (West Harbour)
12. Terrence Hepetema (Randwick)
13. Rob Horne (Southern Districts)
14. Cam Crawford (Northern Suburbs)
15. Drew Mitchell (Randwick)
Replacements:
16. Kerren Straker (Penrith)
17. Tolu Latu (Sydney University)
18. Keliti Vangalo (Eastern Suburbs)
19. Jed Holloway (Southern Districts)
20. Brendan McKibbin (Eastern Suburbs)
21. Auvasa Falealii (Newcastle Waratahs)
22. David Horwitz (Randwick)
23. Michael McDougall (Eastwood)
24. Usaia O’Sullivan (West Harbour)
25. Alex Gibbon (Southern Districts)
26. Matt Carraro
27. David Lolohea (West Harbour)[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Los Pumas
1. Marcos Ayerza (40 caps)
2. Agustín Creevy (22 caps)
3. Juan Figallo (17 caps)
4. Manuel Carizza (33 caps)
5. Mariano Galarza (12 caps)
6. Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (captain, 52 caps)
7. Juan Manuel Leguizamón (46 caps)
8. Leonardo Senatore (17 caps)
9. Martín Landajo (18 caps)
10. Juan Martín Hernández (39 caps)
11. Juan Imhoff (14 caps)
12. Felipe Contepomi (81 caps)
13. Joaquín Tuculet (5 caps)
14. Gonzalo Camacho (20 caps)
15. Lucas González Amorosino (21 caps)
Replacements:
Eusebio Guiñazú (27 caps)
Nahuel Lobo (2 caps)
Matías Díaz (3 caps)
Julio Farías Cabello (21 caps)
Pablo Matera (2 caps)
Tomás Cubelli (13 caps)
Nicolás Sánchez (8 caps)
Santiago Fernández (25 caps)
Marcelo Bosch (18 caps)
Horacio Agulla (42 caps)[/one_half]
