Los Pumas have confirmed their matchday 23 to face the Wallabies in Townsville - and head coach Felipe Contepomi is not taking any chances.
An experienced starting fifteen will see three changes from the side that beat the All Blacks in Buenos Aires, with Joel Sclavi, Marcos Kremer and Santiago Carreras all coming in.
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Julian Montoya will captain the side once more with an unchanged second row in Franco Molina and Pedro Rubiolo supported by an imposing loose forward trio in Kremer, vice captain Pablo Matera and Juan Martin Gonzalez.
Carreras at flyhalf marks the only change to the backline, with Santiago Chocobares and Lucio Cinti making up the centres, and Mateo Carreras and Bautista Delguy set to be unleashed on the wings.
Contepomi has made two additional changes on the bench with Boris Wenger set for his official Pumas debut.
While the exciting Harlequins prop played for Argentina against the British & Irish Lions, this Wallabies Test will mark his first against another nation.
The second debut comes via Gerónimo Prisciantelli, who comes into the side after Tomás Albornoz was sidelined with a hand injury.
The Racing 92 flyhalf is set to serve as finisher off the bench, partnering with Agustin Moyano in the centres.
“There were players who could not come, like Pedro Delgado, Albornoz and others…someone has to cover them and we decided that it was Joel and Santi,” Contepomi told reporters on Thursday.
“Obviously for me Santi is an excellent player.
“He has done very well in the last game when he entered, he knows exactly what we want to play, how we want to play and we have a lot of confidence in what he can do.
“They [Wenger and Prisciantelli] have already been training very well for several weeks and we believe that they are [ready].
“One obviously does not have the crystal ball and does not have pure certainty of how they are going to play, but we always say that we try to prepare the players to be successful and when we see them that they are prepared and that they can contribute something, they are included in the team.”
ARGENTINA TEAM TO PLAY AUSTRALIA
15. Juan Cruz Mallia, 14. Bautista Delguy, 13. Lucio Cinti, 12. Santiago Chocobares, 11. Mateo Carreras, 10. Santiago Carreras, 9. Gonzalo Garcia, 8. Pablo Matera, 7. Marcos Kremer, 6. Juan Martin Gonzalez, 5. Pedro Rubiolo, 4. Franco Molina, 3. Joel Sclavi, 2. Julian Montoya, 1. Mayco Vivas
Replacements
16. Ignacio Ruiz, 17.Boris Wenger*, 18. Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19. Guido Petti, 20. Joaquin Oviedo, 21. Agustin Moyano, 22.Geronimo Prisciantelli*, 23. Benjamin Elizalde
