Mikel Cheika confirms Las Pumas line-up to face New Zealand in semi-finals – Diario El Ciudadano y La Region

Michael Cheika has announced a record-seeking Argentina XV against New Zealand

Argentina rugby team Los Pumas will take part in Friday’s World Cup semi-final against the New Zealand All Blacks in France, coach Michael Cheika has confirmed. The match kicks off at 4:00pm Argentina time at the Stade de France in St Denis. Television will be from ESPN Cable Signal.

The Albiceleste line-up will compare to the fifteen changes that came from the 29-17 defeat of Wales in the quarter-final clash in Marseille, with Gonzalo Bertrano coming in for Tomas Cubelli.

Las Pumas’ formation includes Tomás Gallo, Julian Montoya (captain) and Francisco Gómez Kodela; Guido Petty and Tomas Lavanini; Juan Martin Gonzalez, Marcos Creamer and Facundo Issa; Bertrano and Santiago Carreras; Mateo Carreras, Santiago Socoparez, Lucio Cindy and Emiliano Boffelli; Juan Cruz Mallya.

Substitutes on the bench are Augustin Grevi, Joel Sclavi, Eduardo Bello, Madias Alemanno, Rodrigo Bruni, Lautaro Bazan Velez, Nicolas Sanchez and Madias Moroni.

The Santa Fe Chocobares center will be after receiving approval from the event’s medical staff after applying the aforementioned “concussion protocol” to a head injury that forced a substitution against the Welsh team last Saturday.

Two variants of the All Blacks

The New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks, field two variants to face Las Pumas in the first semi-final of the France 2023 World Cup this Friday. Three-time world champions (1987, 2011, 2015), coach Ian Foster, second-row Samuel Whitelock and winger Mark Delia have settled their returns.

This way, players Brady Retallick (who will go to the substitutes’ bench) and the injured Leicester Fainga’Anuku (not even among the 23 called up) will be out of the main fifteen that beat Ireland 28-24 respectively.

The New Zealand squad includes Ethan de Groot, Cody Taylor and Tyrell Lomax; Whitelock and Scott Barrett; Shannon Frizzell, Sam Kane (Captain) and Arty Savea; Aaron Smith and Richie Monga; Tele’a, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane and Will Jordan; Beauton Barrett. The relay bench will include Samisoni Daukeiho, Damity Williams, Fletcher Newell, Brady Ridalic, Dalton Babali, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown.

The All Blacks have won all three previous World Cup clashes with Las Pumas, throughout history.

In the first edition in 1987, New Zealand defeated the hosts and eventual champions, the Albiceleste, 46–15 in the group stage. The All Blacks won the quarter-final in 2011, also in New Zealand, 33-10. The last clash at the World Cups took place in England in 2015, in the qualification stage, and the victory belonged to the representative of Oceania, 26-16.