Bertranou in for Cubelli - Argentina name team to play New Zealand ...

Argentina head coach Michael Cheika has named his match-day 23 to play New Zealand in the first semi-final of Rugby World Cup 2023 at Stade de France on Friday, 20 October.

Argentina head coach Michael Cheika has brought in scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou for Tomás Cubelli in the only change from the team that beat Wales in the quarter-final, for their Rugby World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Saint-Denis on Friday.

1 Thomas Gallo2 Julián Montoya (c)3 Francisco Gómez Kodela4 Guido Petti Pagadizabal5 Tomas Lavanini6 Juan Martin Gonzalez7 Marcos Kremer8 Facundo Isa9 Gonzalo Bertranou10 Santiago Carreras11 Mateo Carreras12 Santiago Chocobares13 Lucio Cinti14 Emiliano Boffelli15 Juan Cruz Mallia

Replacements:16 Agustín Creevy17 Joel Sclavi18 Eduardo Bello19 Matias Alemanno20 Rodrigo Bruni21 Lautaro Bazan Velez22 Nicolas Sanchez23 Matías Moroni

There are seven survivors from the last Rugby World Cup semi-final Los Pumas played in 2015 against Australia – Matías Alemanno, Agustín Creevy, Facundo Isa, Tomas Lavanini, Nicolás Sanchez, Guido Petti and captain Julián Montoya. There are six players in the match-day team who have played in both previous victories against the All Blacks – Matías Alemanno, Gonzalo Bertranou, Santigao Carreras, Marcos Kremer, Guido Petti and captain Julián Montoya. Nicolás Sanchez has scored the second-most points of any test player in rugby history against the All Blacks (151) – only Australia’s Matt Burke has scored more against New Zealand (176). He has not missed a shot at goal at RWC 2023, kicking all 11 attempts. At 38 years and 219 days old on match day, hooker Agustín Creevy will become the oldest player to play a Rugby World Cup semi-final, surpassing South Africa’s Victor Matfield who was 38 years and 166 days against the All Blacks in 2015. Number eight Facundo Isa will earn his 50th test cap. He made his debut in 2014 against Scotland, earning his first 25 caps within two years, before returning to the team in 2019 to earn his last 24 caps. This will be his first test against the All Blacks since 2020. Fly-half Santiago Carreras generated much of Los Pumas' attack last game, with a team-high 14 carries for 112 metres, two line breaks and the second-most defenders beaten with four.