Pumas lose 324 caps' worth of experience from starting XV for Italy

Argentina will be without 324 caps’ worth of experience from the starting XV that faced Ireland when they take on Italy in Genoa on Saturday.

Felipe Contepomi has made five changes following the 42-12 defeat in Dublin, with Julián Montoya, Marcos Kremer and Juan Cruz Mallía all ruled out through injury, while Juan Martín González and Gonzalo García drop to the bench.

Montoya’s absence accounts for 120 of those lost caps after the hooker suffered a head injury against Ireland. Bautista Bernasconi, who has just three caps, will make his first Test start in his place.

Kremer, an 83-cap veteran, misses out with a sprained right ankle, prompting another reshuffle in the back-row. Pablo Matera moves from No.8 to blindside and captains Argentina for the fourth time in five Tests, with eight-cap Joaquín Moro and three-cap Juan Martín Scelzo completing the loose trio.

González’s 51 caps are moved to the bench, while 19-cap García is replaced at scrum-half by Simón Benítez Cruz.

Mallía’s injury removes another 51 caps from the run-on side. Bautista Delguy consequently shifts to full-back, allowing Rodrigo Isgró to start on the wing.

Facundo Bosch and Facundo Isa return among the replacements, with Isa in line for his first Test appearance since July 2025.

Leonel Oviedo has also left the squad after suffering a knee injury, while Benjamín Grondona has been called in following Kremer’s setback.

Argentina XV: 15 Bautista Delguy, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Justo Piccardo, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz; 1 Boris Wenger, 2 Bautista Bernasconi, 3 Francisco Moreno, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 7 Joaquín Moro, 8 Juan Martín Scelzo.

Replacements: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Ephraim Elias, 20 Juan Martín González, 21 Facundo Isa, 22 Gonzalo García, 23 Gerónimo Prisciantelli.