Contepomi makes sweeping changes to Pumas line-up for Irish Test

Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi urged his side to "get better" after he made 12 changes to the starting line-up for Friday's Nations Championship match with Ireland in Dublin from the one that drew with Australia in September.

Prop Boris Wenger and experienced forwards Guido Petti and Pablo Matera are the only three who keep their place from the 28-28 draw with the Wallabies in Argentina.

Contepomi is able to call on livewire fullback Juan Cruz Mallia for the first time in almost a year. The Toulouse star ruptured knee ligaments in his right knee after a late tackle by England's Tom Curry.

Contepomi's side are bidding to make history in becoming the first Pumas team to beat the Irish in Dublin.

Contepomi, who is no stranger to Ireland having had a hugely successful stint playing for Leinster from 2003-2009, said his goal for the upcoming three Tests – they also play Italy and France – is to be a more polished unit.

Discipline too will be key as the Pumas' chances of beating the Wallabies to level the two-Test series were ruined by being reduced to 13 men for the final 10 minutes. 

"Get better," said the 49-year-old former fly-half.

"We need to get better as a team, we need to start making less unforced errors, try to get better at the set-piece. Making sure we are competitive."

Contepomi, who qualified as a doctor while he was in Ireland, said one year out from the Rugby World Cup it would be a great barometer of where they stood.

"We are playing two of the top four teams and another very much improving team in the last few years, Italy," he said.

"So I think it's a massive, massive challenge for us, especially one year to the World Cup.

"So, I think we need to get better consistency, do what we say we are going to do and try to impose the way we want to play rugby."

His Ireland counterpart Andy Farrell, who Contepomi got the better of in Dublin when the Pumas beat the British and Irish Lions in 2025, names his side later on Wednesday.

The Irish will be missing several of the players who were key to Ireland's Six Nations Triple Crown success earlier this year.

Captain Caelan Doris plus fellow back rower Jack Conan, centre Garry Ringrose and fly-half Jack Crowley are all injured.

Both Ireland and Argentina are fourth in their respective northern and southern hemisphere tables in a tournament that climaxes with the finals weekend at Twickenham at the end of the month.  

Team 

Argentina

Juan Cruz Mallia; Bautista Delguy, Justo Piccardo, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer, Juan Martin Gonzalez; Pedro Rubiolo, Guido Petti; Francisco Moreno, Julian Montoya (capt), Boris Wenger

Replacements (16-23): Leonel Oviedo, Mayco Vivas, Joel Sclavi, Efrain Elias, Juan Martin Scelzo, Simon Benitez Cruz, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Lucio Cinti