JOE SCHMIDT HAS handed an international debut to Robbie Diack as well as a recall to Simon Zebo for Saturday’s first Test against Argentina.
Diack is one of three players who could also make their debut in Chaco with Connacht duo Kieran Marmion and Rodney Ah You on the bench.
Schmidt has taken the opportunity to experiment to some extent. Jordi Murphy is selected at number eight ahead of Jamie Heaslip and the Six Nations-winning second row partnership of Devin Toner and Paul O’Connell broken up to allow Iain Henderson play in harness with the captain.
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Felix Jones will start hat fullback with Rob Kearney left out of the 23-man squad. And, with all eyes on the number 13 shirt in the post-Brian O’Driscoll era, Darren Cave will be partnered by Luke Marshall in the centre with the familiar half-back pairing of Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton providing the service.
Ireland: F Jones, A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall; S Zebo J Sexton, C Murray: J McGrath, R Best, M Ross; I Henderson P O’Connell; R Diack, C Henry, J Murphy.Replacements: D Varley, D Kilcoyne, R Ah You, D Toner, J Heaslip, K Marmion, I Madigan, F McFadden.
Argentina’s starting line-up has also been named today with Castres prop Ramiro Herrera the only uncapped member of the starting line-up.
Herrera will hope to be a cornerstone to a pack who boast only two players with more than 10 caps to their name; number eight Benjamín Macome and Stormers lock Manuel Carizza.
The only other foreign-based players is out-half Nicolas Sanchez who plies his trade with Bordeaux Begles. He is partnered at half-back by 28-times capped Martin Landajo.
Argentina: J Tuculet; S Cordero, J De La Fuente, G Ascarate, M Montero; N Sanchez, M Landajo: L Noguera Paz, M Cortese, R Herrera; M Carizza, T Lavanini; R Baez, T De La Vega, B Macone.Replacements: J Montoya, B Postiglioni, N Telaz Chaparo, M Alemanno, J Ortega Desio, T Cubelli,, S Gonzalez, Iglesias, L Gonzalez Amorisino.
