Coach Daniel Hourcade has made nine changes to Argentina’s starting lineup for Friday’s third-place play-off against the Springboks in London.

In the absence of injured captain Agustín Creevy, flyhalf Nicolás Sánchez will take over the leadership reins.

The depleted Pumas have been forced into a number of changes, with wing Juan Imhoff and veteran centre Juan Martín Hernández also ruled out with injuries.

Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, Matias Moroni, Jeronimo De La Fuente, Horacio Agulla and Tomás Cubelli are all newcomers in the backline, while Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Javier Ortega Desio, Matias Alemanno and Julian Montoya will start up front.

Argentina – 15 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Nicolás Sánchez (c), 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 7 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, 6 Javier Ortega Desio, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Subs: 16 Lucas Noguera, 17 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 18 Juan Figallo, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Juan Pablo Socino.

Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images