Los Pumas have a confirmed team to host the All Blacks at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Cordoba.

It will be a historic event since it will be the first confrontation between the two teams in La Docta, and in front of a stadium that will be full. 

Eleven years have passed since Los Pumas last played in Cordoba, the last time was in 2014 when they fell to Scotland 19-21.

This Saturday’s will be the sixth official match of the national team in the province: in 2003 they beat Fiji 49-30, in 2005 they lost to Italy 29-30, in 2008 it was a defeat against Italy by 12-13, in 2012 they won against France by 23-20 and the newly named loss to Scotland in 2014.

This will be the fourteenth visit of the men in black to Argntina, with Stadio Vélez in Buenos Aires being the stadium where they played the most (7).

However, this will be their fourth time in the province: in 1976 they beat the Interior National Team by 30-13, while in 1985 and 1991 they did it against the Córdoba National Team by 72-9 and 38-9, respectively.

Coach Felipe Contepomi, who rotated players in their last three Tests against England and Uruguay in June and July, has picked a strong side to take on the All Blacks at the Estadio Mario Kempes, with the French-based quartet of Santiago Chocobares, Bautista Delguy, Marcos Kremer and Juan Cruz Mallia all returning after missing the mid-year matches.

There are 10 changes from the Pumas’ last international, a 52-17 win over neighbours Uruguay in Salta with only Rodrigo Isgro kept in the backline and four changes in the forward pack.

Prop Francisco Gomez Kodela retired after the game while centre Matías Moroni has been dropped for the first time in more than three years. Injury rules out winger Emiliano Boffelli, flank Benjamín Grondona, who debuted in July, and front rower Thomas Gallo, who is scheduled to return next month.

Last year, Argentina stunned the All Blacks with a 38-30 victory in Wellington in the opening round of the annual southern hemisphere championship but only 14 of 23 who played that day will line-up in Córdoba.

Argentina also beat Australia and world champions South Africa at home in last year’s competition to finish in third place.

Los Pumas to face the All Blacks in Cordoba:

1. VIVAS, Mayco (31 caps)

2. MONTOYA, Julián (C) (108 caps)

3. DELGADO, Pedro (4 caps)

4. MOLINA, Franco (12 caps)

5. RUBIOLO, Pedro (23 caps)

6. MATERA, Pablo (VC) (112 caps)

7. KREMER, Marcos (73 caps)

8. OVIEDO, Joaquín (13 caps)

9. GARCÍA, Gonzalo (11 caps)

10. ALBORNOZ, Tomás (17 caps)

11. DELGUY, Bautista (33 caps)

12. CHOCOBARES, Santiago (27 caps)

13. CINTI, Lucio (34 caps)

14. ISGRÓ, Rodrigo (9 caps)

15. MALLÍA, Juan Cruz (VC) (42 caps)

Relacements

16. RUIZ, Ignacio (18 caps)

17. TETAZ CHAPARRO, Nahuel (79 caps)

18. SCLAVI, Joel (27 caps)

19. PETTI, Guido (89 caps)

20. GONZÁLEZ, Juan Martín (42 caps)

21. BENÍTEZ CRUZ, Simón (3 caps)

22. CARRERAS, Santiago (55 caps)

23. PICCARDO, Justo (4 caps)