Isa set for 50th Pumas cap in World Cup showdown with New Zealand
Facundo Isa will win his 50th cap for Argentina in Friday's Rugby World Cup semifinal with three-time champions New Zealand.
The 30-year-old No 8 is one of seven players in the matchday 23 to have played in the Pumas 2015 World Cup semifinal defeat to Australia.
Head coach Michael Cheika, who was in charge of Australia when they beat the Pumas in 2015, has made just the one change to the starting XV from the one that surprised Wales in the quarterfinals.
The 56-year-old has selected Gonzalo Bertranou at scrumhalf at the expense of Tomas Cubelli, who drops out of the 23 altogether.
ยก๐ก๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐! ๐ฆ๐ท
โ Los Pumas (@lospumas) October 18, 2023
๐ Viernes 20/10
โฐ 16:00 h
๐ Nueva Zelanda ๐ณ๐ฟ
๐ Parรญs
๐บ @ESPNArgentina / TV Pรบblica#SomosLosPumas | #PorLaGloria pic.twitter.com/8F9KSFFdL9
Bertranou is one of six players in the 23 who featured in both Argentina's wins over New Zealand since the 2019 World Cup.
Argentina's captain in 2015 hooker Agustin Creevy at 38 years and 219 days will become the oldest player to appear in a World Cup semifinal if he comes on.
He will surpass South Africa's Victor Matfield who was 38 years and 166 days against the All Blacks in 2015.
Cheika's team will start as underdogs against an All Blacks side that posted a hugely impressive performance in beating Ireland 28-24 last Saturday.
Argentina team (15-1)
Juan Cruz Mallia; Emiliano Boffelli, Lucio Cinti, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras; Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou; Facundo Isa, Marcos Kremer, Juan Martin Gonzalez; Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti; Francisco Gomez Kodela, Julian Montoya (capt), Thomas Gallo
Replacements: Agustin Creevy, Joel Sclavi, Eduardo Bello, Matias Alemanno, Rodrigo Bruni, Lautaro Bazan Velez, Nicolas Sanchez, Matias Moroni
Coach: Michael Cheika (AUS)
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