Overview
- Argentina named a largely overhauled starting XV for the Dublin Nations Championship test, with Julián Montoya reinstated as captain.
- Coach Felipe Contepomi, which announced the team on Wednesday, retained only two starters from September and recalled several senior forwards and backs.
- The squad will miss key players Santiago Carreras and Thomas Gallo because of a serious knee injury and recent wrist surgery respectively.
- Shaun Edwards has joined the coaching group to run defence, giving Argentina a new defensive focus with limited time to work ahead of the Aviva Stadium match.
- Nearly 49,000 tickets have been sold for the game and the series doubles as the start of Argentina’s 2027 World Cup preparations, with an Argentina XV tour to Bath planned to build depth.