Seven Pumas changes for second French test

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ALL CHANGE: Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has overhauled nearly half his starting team for the second test against France.

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Argentina have made seven changes for the second test against France as they continue to prepare for their Rugby Championship debut with more rotation in the June international window.

Coach Santiago Phelan, having made six changes from the side that beat Italy on June 9 for their first-test win over France last weekend, has also made some positional changes while naming a new halfback pair.

The one constant is captain Felipe Contepomi at inside centre whose 35 points in the last two matches took him past the great Hugo Porta to a new Argentine international record of 623.

Phelan named his elite Pumas, apart from Contepomi and prop Rodrigo Roncero who are in the June squad, for the new southern hemisphere Rugby Championship in which Argentina make their debut away to South Africa on Aug. 18.

He will be looking to draw on the June squad to complete his Rugby Championship numbers with Roncero, who had said he was retiring from international rugby in Saturday's test making himself available.

Roncero, a veteran of three World Cups, was in good form against Italy and scored one of Argentina's four tries in a 37-22 victory.

The 35-year-old Contepomi, who has 77 caps to 96 for the other 14 players in Phelan's team, has not entirely ruled himself out of the six-match Rugby Championship which ends early October.

It is the first year in which Argentina, having never before been involved in a major, annual championship, are playing 12 test matches. They also tour Europe for three tests in November.

Argentina: Joaquin Tuculet, Facundo Barrea, Agustin Gosio, Felipe Contepomi (capt), Manuel Montero, Benjamin Urdapilleta, Tomas Cubelli; Leonardo Senatore, Tomas Leonardi, Tomas de la Vega, Esteban Lozada, Julio Farias Cabello, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Andres Bordoy, Eusebio Guinazu. Reserves: Bruno Postiglioni, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Santiago Guzman, Benjamin Macome, Rodrigo Baez, Martin Landajo, Gabriel Azcarate

- Reuters