Preview: Leicester v Argentina

Editor

Los Pumas have named a near-full-strength side for Saturday's clash with Leicester Tigers in the Marcos Ayerza Testimonial Challenge at Welford Road.

With only two hookers named in their World Cup squad, skipper Augustin Creevy is left out as a precaution but most of the first-choice XV will start in Argentina's last warm-up game before the RWC.

Also included in the Pumas team are prop Ayerza and former Tigers trio Horacio Agulla, Lucas Amorosino and Pablo Matera.

For Leicester, summer signings Peter Betham, Greg Bateman, Mike Fitzgerald and Lachlan McCaffrey will make their first appearance for Tigers.

All four are included in a 30-man squad for the hosts, with forwards Bateman and Fitzgerald in the starting XV alongside wing Betham, and McCaffrey among the replacements.

Pumas international wing Gonzalo Camacho will also line up for the first time in a Tigers shirt after his recovery from a shoulder injury.

Tigers also include internationals Seremaia Bai, Freddie Burns, Christian Loamanu and Mathew Tait. First-team regulars Sam Harrison, Sebastian de Chaves, Fraser Balmain, Graham Kitchener, Matt Smith and Adam Thompstone will also have a first run of the season.

England Under-20s quartet caps Will Owen, Charlie Beckett, Oli Bryant and Owen Hills are likely to gain some big-game experience, with academy prospects Paolo Odogwu, Ben White and George Worth also included in the squad on an historic afternoon.

The teams:

Leicester Tigers: 15 Mathew Tait (c), 14 Peter Betham, 13 Christian Loamanu, 12 George Catchpole, 11 Gonzalo Camacho, 10 Tommy Bell, 9 Sam Harrison, 8 Laurence Pearce, 7 Will Owen, 6 Mike Fitzgerald, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 4 Joe Maksymiw, 3 Tiziano Pasquali, 2 Greg Bateman, 1 Riccardo Brugnara.
Replacements: Fraser Balmain, Charlie Beckett, Will Evans, Jake Farnworth, Owen Hills, Graham Kitchener, Lachlan McCaffrey, Ed Milne, Matt Parr, Oliver Povoas, Harry Thacker, Harry Wells, Seremaia Bai, Oli Bryant, Freddie Burns, Paolo Odogwu, Matt Smith, Adam Thompstone, George Tresidder, Ben White, George Worth

Argentina: 15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Juan Martín Hernández, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Tomás Cubelli (c), 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, 6 Javier Ortega Desio, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti Pagadizabal, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julián Montoya, 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Lucas Noguera, 17 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 18 Matías Alemanno, 19 Mariano Galarza, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Lucas González Amorosino, 24 Leonardo Senatore, 25 Pablo Matera, 26 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 27 Matías Moroni, 28 Juan Pablo Socino, 29 Horacio Agulla

Date: Saturday, September 5
Venue: Welford Road
Kick-off: 15.00 local (14:00 GMT)