Argentina Make 12 Changes for Dublin Test Against Ireland

Argentina’s bid for a first win over Ireland in Dublin starts with a major reset. Coach Felipe Contepomi has made 12 changes to the starting XV for Friday’s Nations Championship test, leaving just prop Boris Wenger and forwards Guido Petti and Pablo Matera in place from the Pumas’ 28-28 draw with Australia in September.

That scale of change puts the focus on how quickly the new combination can operate as a unit. A reshuffle can bring fresh energy or expose gaps in timing, particularly across the pack and at set-piece, where players need to make coordinated decisions under pressure. Contepomi is asking for greater consistency at the same time he’s altering most of his starting side.

Mallia’s return and a new starting combination

The most notable return is fullback Juan Cruz Mallia, back in the side for the first time in almost a year. The Toulouse player ruptured ligaments in his right knee after a late tackle by England’s Tom Curry. His selection gives Argentina an experienced option at the back, though his return also comes with the practical question every team faces after a long injury absence: how quickly can a player recover match rhythm?

At fullback, Mallia will be part of a backline that includes Bautista Delguy, Justo Piccardo, Santiago Chocobares and Mateo Carreras, with Tomas Albornoz and Gonzalo Garcia at fly-half and scrum-half. The names matter less than how the group connects: a new starting XV has to settle its communication and timing quickly, especially against a side playing at home. For Argentina, Mallia’s return is a welcome individual boost, but it can’t by itself solve the broader challenge of turning a changed lineup into a coherent team.

Consistency under pressure

Contepomi says Argentina need sharper execution across the three tests in this series, which continues against Italy and France. The former fly-half, 49, wants fewer unforced errors and better work at set-piece, with discipline also in focus after Argentina were reduced to 13 players for the final 10 minutes against Australia. Those are linked problems: errors can give opponents territory, while penalties and dismissals can make it harder to defend that territory with a full side.

“We need to get better as a team,” he said, calling on the Pumas to “do what we say we are going to do” and impose their preferred style of rugby. The message is straightforward, but execution is the test. Argentina need to make their plans hold up when a match becomes disjointed, when the set-piece is contested and when discipline is under strain.

The series, he added, offers a useful measure of the team’s progress a year before the Rugby World Cup. Argentina face two sides ranked among the world’s top four, alongside an improving Italy. That mix should give the Pumas varied tests of their preparation, though one result won’t answer every question about their development. The work will be in showing that better habits carry from one match into the next.

Contepomi knows Irish rugby well: he played for Leinster from 2003 to 2009 and qualified as a doctor during his time in Ireland. He also has a recent win over Andy Farrell’s side in Dublin, having led Argentina past the British and Irish Lions there in 2025. That experience gives him familiarity with the setting, but it won’t remove the pressure of trying to secure Argentina’s first win over Ireland in Dublin.

Ireland’s injury absences

Farrell was due to name Ireland’s team later on Wednesday. Several players who helped secure the Six Nations Triple Crown earlier this year are unavailable: captain Caelan Doris, back-rower Jack Conan, centre Garry Ringrose and fly-half Jack Crowley are all injured. Their absence changes the choices available to Ireland across several positions, though the wider effect depends on the team Farrell selects and how its replacements fit together.

That creates uncertainty around the matchup. Argentina have made extensive changes of their own, while Ireland will have to name a side without a number of established contributors. Neither circumstance guarantees an advantage. The contest may turn on which team adapts faster and keeps its basic execution intact.

What the test could show

Argentina and Ireland are both fourth in their respective hemispheric tables in the tournament, which concludes with finals weekend at Twickenham at the end of the month. Friday’s test therefore sits within a larger series, but it also carries a clear immediate challenge: the Pumas are seeking a first Dublin win while trying to establish the standards Contepomi has called for.

This is more significant than it looks. A large lineup change can be read as an attempt to find the right combination, but it also puts extra weight on preparation and communication. If you’re working in this space, the key question is whether Argentina can reduce avoidable errors while integrating so many changes. (And this is the part most people overlook.) A team can have the right intentions and still lose control of a match through small lapses.

For the Pumas, Friday’s test is a chance to turn a substantial lineup change into the consistency Contepomi is demanding. A useful first step. The next two tests against Italy and France will offer further evidence of whether that standard can hold across the series.

Argentina team

Juan Cruz Mallia; Bautista Delguy, Justo Piccardo, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer, Juan Martin Gonzalez; Pedro Rubiolo, Guido Petti; Francisco Moreno, Julian Montoya (captain), Boris Wenger.

Replacements (16–23): Leonel Oviedo, Mayco Vivas, Joel Sclavi, Efrain Elias, Juan Martin Scelzo, Simon Benitez Cruz, Geronimo Prisciantelli and Lucio Cinti.

Coach: Felipe Contepomi (Argentina)