Five changes for Argentina clash with Italy as captain Montoya ruled out

PARMA, Italy, Nov 12 : Argentina captain Julian Montoya has been ruled out with concussion from Saturday’s Nations Championship clash against Italy in Genoa with Pablo Matera named to take over as skipper.

• Coach Felipe Contepomi announced on Thursday five changes from the side beaten 42-12 by Ireland in Dublin last Friday.

• Bautista Bernasconi, who joined the squad on Monday, takes over from Montoya at hooker, with last week’s replacement Leonel Oviedo also unavailable after suffering a sprain to his left knee, which rules him out for the rest of the competition. Facundo Bosch is the substitute hooker, having won his last cap for Argentina five years ago.

• There are changes among the loose forwards where Matera moves from number eight to blindside flanker with Joaquin Moro on the open side and Juan Martin Scelzo at the back of the scrum. Juan Martin Gonzalez has been dropped to the bench, while Marcos Kremer is out with a right ankle sprain

• Simon Benitez Cruz will play at scrumhalf in place of Gonzalo Garcia, who is among the substitutes

• With Juan Cruz Mallia hurting his knee last Friday, Bautista Delguy moves to fullback and his place on the right wing is taken by Rodrigo Isgro

Team: 15-Bautista Delguy, 14-Rodrigo Isgro, 13-Justo Piccardo, 12-Santiago Chocobares, 11-Mateo Carreras, 10-Tomas Albornoz, 9-Simon Benitez Cruz, 8-Juan Martin Scelzo, 7-Joaquin Moro, 6-Pablo Matera, 5-Pedro Rubiolo, 4-Guido Petti, 3-Francisco Moreno, 2-Bautista Bernasconi, 1-Boris Wenger

Replacements: 16-Facundo Bosch, 17-Mayco Vivas, 18-Joel Sclavi, 19-Efraín Elias, 20-Juan Martin Gonzalez, 21-Facundo Isa, 22-Gonzalo Garcia, 23-Geronimo Prisciantelli

(Compiled by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)