SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — Argentina has promoted prop Eduardo Bello, lock Guido Petti and center Matias Moroni from the reserves to face Samoa in their key Rugby World Cup match on Friday.
All three came off the bench against England two weeks ago but made little impact in a 27-10 loss in Marseille.
Bello and Moroni made straight swaps with Francisco Gómez Kodela and Lucio Cinti.
But there was no room for displaced lock Tomas Lavanini in the reserves as coach Michael Cheika changed his forwards-backs split from 6-2 against England to 5-3 against Samoa.
Halfbacks Tomas Cubelli and Nicolas Sanchez will back up starters Gonzalo Bertranou and Santiago Carreras. Sanchez, the Pumas’ all-time leading scorer with 863 points, will earn his 99th cap if he comes off the bench.
Samoa brought in three of its France-based professionals.
Stade Francais tighthead prop Paul Alo-Emile, who came off the bench in the opening win over Chile last week, and Toulon lock Brian Alainu'u'ese both played for Samoa through the Pacific Nations Cup.
Montpellier wing Ben Lam will play his first test this year. Danny Toala has dropped to the reserves.
Alo-Emile swapped with Chile starter Michael Ala'alatoa, and Alainu’u’ese's recall forced Theo McFarland to shift from the second row to the blindside flank and Taleni Agaese Seu to the reserves.
Also on the bench came prop Charlie Faumuina, the former 50-cap All Black, scrumhalf Melani Matavao, the only Samoa-based player in the squad, and Moana Pasifika flyhalf D'Angelo Leuila ahead of Lima Sopoaga.
Samoa is vying mainly with Argentina and England to be one of two teams to advance from Pool D. Samoa hasn't reached the quarterfinals since 1995, before the game went fully professional.
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Lineups:
Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia, Emiliano Boffelli, Matias Moroni, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras, Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou; Juan Martin Gonzalez, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera, Matias Alemanno, Guido Petti, Eduardo Bello, Julian Montoya (captain), Thomas Gallo. Reserves: Agustín Creevy, Mayco Vivas, Francisco Gómez Kodela, Pedro Rubiolo, Rodrigo Bruni, Tomas Cubelli, Nicolas Sanchez, Lucio Cinti.
Samoa: Duncan Paia'aua, Nigel Ah-Wong, Ulupano Seuteni, Tumua Manu, Ben Lam, Christian Leali’ifano, Jonathan Taumateine; Steven Luatua, Fritz Lee, Theo McFarland, Chris Vui (captain), Brian Alainu'u'ese, Paul Alo-Emile, Seilala Lam, James Lay. Reserves: Sama Malolo, Charlie Faumuina, Michael Ala'alatoa, Taleni Agaese Seu, Sa Jordan Taufua, Melani Matavao, D'Angelo Leuila, Danny Toala.
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AP Rugby World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
