Argentina name match day 23 for the Townsville test

September 04, 2025
2029
Ultimate Rugby

With the first two rounds of the Rugby Championship underway, Los Pumas and the Wallabies will meet again this Saturday in Townsville in what will be the first of two matches on Australian soil. The match will start at 2:30 p.m. local time (1:30 a.m. CET), with a high temperature of 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit). The rematch, to be played a week later, will be at Allianz Stadium in Sydney starting at 2:00 p.m. local time (1:00 a.m. CET). Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN.

Both teams spent the entire week in the northern Queensland city. For the Wallabies, there is a lot of anticipation about how the team will perform after their strong performance on their tour of South Africa, while Los Pumas will look to continue the challenge of continuous improvement and grow match after match. Currently, the tournament is very evenly matched, with each team recording one win and one loss.

The Pumas will return to Townsville, a city they haven't visited since 2021, when they lost 27-8 to the hosts. Among those called up for this Queensland tour, Mateo Carreras and Joaquín Oviedo made their debuts in an Argentine jersey.

The last meeting between the two teams here in Australia was in 2023, World Cup year, and Los Pumas won 34-31 in Parramatta, thanks to a goal from Juan Martín González in the final minutes of the match. Rodrigo Isgró made his debut there.

Among the 23 players selected by Felipe Contepomi for Saturday's match in Townsville, there are two players who could make their official debut for Los Pumas: Boris Wenger and Gerónimo Prisciantelli. We remember that Wenger played against the British & Irish Lions in Dublin, but he didn't earn a cap in that match.

Below are the chosen ones for the first performance in Australia:

1. VIVAS , Mayco (33 caps)

2. MONTOYA , Julián (110 caps) (Captain)

3. SCLAVI , Joel (29 caps)

4. MOLINA , Franco (14 caps)

5. RUBIOLO , Pedro (25 caps)

6. GONZÁLEZ , Juan Martín (44 caps)

7. KREMER , Marcos (75 caps)

8. MATERA , Pablo (114 caps) (Vice-captain)

9. GARCÍA , Gonzalo (13 caps)

10. CARRERAS , Santiago (57 caps)

11. CARRERAS , Mateo (28 caps)