EDINBURGH’s Emiliano Boffelli will line up against seven of his team-mates tomorrow after being named on the left wing in the Argentina side to face Scotland. The 27-year-old had an excellent debut campaign with the capital club and last month was named players’ player of the season.
London Irish hooker Agustin Creevy, who was sent off against Edinburgh in the Challenge Cup back in January, is on the bench for what will be Michael Cheika’s first match as head coach of the Pumas. Cheika, who coached his native Australia for five years from 2014, said after announcing his matchday squad yesterday that he expected Scotland to play a fast game with a lot of emphasis on the counter-attack.
“Scotland have a clear way of playing the game, what they want to create,” he said. “They’re very good attacking the ball on the ground; they’re very good with their counter-attack. They play with a fast tempo - lots of quick lineouts. And they’ve got a good kicking game as well.
“There might be some different players in there, but it will be the same type of game: high tempo, lots of counter-attack. We’ll have to work hard in defence.”
The match will be Argentina’s first home international since they lost 46-13 to South Africa in Salta, venue for next week’s second Test, in August 2019.
Argentina (v Scotland at the Estadio 23 de Agosto, San Salvador de Jujuy, tomorrow[Sat] 8.10pm BST): JC Mallia; S Cordero, M Orlando, J de la Fuente, E Boffelli; N Sanchez, T Cubelli; N Tetaz Chaparro, J Montoya (captain), F Gomez Kodela, G Petti, M Alemanno, JM Gonzalez Samso, M Kremer, P Matera. Substitutes: A Creevy, M Vivas, J Sclavi, L Paulos, F Isa, G Bertranou, S Carreras, M Moroni.
