A couple of days before the Rugby World Cup kick-off, Marcelo LOFFREDA have announced the starting line-up for Los Pumas to face home-team France at the Stade de France in Saint Denis.
There were doubts about Federico TODESCHINI's fitness after having problems in training during the week, but despite him being declared match-fit by the medical staff, LOFFREDA have decided to bench him and use Juan Martín HERNANDEZ as a fly-half (despite him being used to play as full back for Stade Français in the French league). Ignacio CORLETO (a proven wing also for Stade Français) will then cover the full back position.
In TODESCHINI's absence, kicking duties will most likely rely on Felipe CONTEPOMI's right boot.
Here's the starting XV that will wear the albicelestes hoops:
1- Rodrigo RONCERO
2- Mario LEDESMA
3- Martín SCELZO
4- Ignacio FERNANDEZ LOBBE
5- Patricio ALBACETE
6- Lucas OSTIGLIA
7- Juan FERNANDEZ LOBBE
8- Juan Manuel LEGUIZAMON
9- Agustín PICHOT (captain)
10- Juan Martín HERNANDEZ
11- Horacio AGULLA
12- Felipe CONTEPOMI
13- Manuel CONTEPOMI
14- Lucas BORGES
15- Ignacio CORLETO
Bench:
16- Alberto VERNET BASUALDO
17- Santiago GONZALEZ BONORINO
18- Rimas ÁLVAREZ
19- Martín DURAND
20- Nicolás FERNANDEZ MIRANDA
21- Federico TODESCHINI
22- Hernán SENILLOSA
France is also confirmed for the big Friday's match. Les Bleus will jump to the field with the following 15 men:
1 Olivier MILLOUD
2 Raphael IBAÑEZ (captain)
3 Pieter de VILLIERS
4 Fabien PELOUS
5 Jérome THION
6 Serge BETSEN
7 Remy MARTIN
8 Imanol HARINORDOQUY
9 Pierre MIGNONI
10 David SKRELA
11 Christophe DOMINICI
12 Damien TRAILLE
13 Yannick JAUZION
14 Aurélien ROUGERIE
15 Cédric HEYMANS
Bench:
16 Dimitri SZARZEWSKI
17 Jean Baptiste POUX
18 Sébastien CHABAL
19 Julien BONNAIRE
20 Thierry DUSAUTOIR
21 Jean Baptiste ELISSALDE
22 Frédéric MICHALAK
We need to ask ourselves which French teams are playing against come the 8th September.
ReplyDeleteIs it the one that played so magnificently against the All Blacks in the 1999 World Cup semi-final or the one that played poorly against England at the last World Cup semi-final?
The truth is that Les Blues can be their own worst enemy especially now with the pressure of playing in front of their crowd. This is when the Los Pumas have to impose pressure on them from the beginning itself.
But the still I personal thought is the match against Ireland will be crunch one in this group.
Congratulations to Los Pumas: what a magnificent victory!
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