Longo in back row against Ireland
By Rex Gowar
September 28, 2007

THE experienced Gonzalo Longo was named at No.8 in Argentina's team to face Ireland in their final World Cup Pool D match at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

Juan Martin Hernandez returns at flyhalf as expected after missing last weekend's 63-3 win over Namibia in Marseille.

Longo, who missed Argentina's first two matches and made his comeback from injury off the bench against Namibia, is the only change from the side that upset hosts France in the tournament's opening match.

Coach Marcelo Loffreda did not pick Juan Manuel Leguizamon because the versatile back row forward has still not fully recovered from a knock on the head he suffered in the Namibia match.

"With Longo we get someone who is very good at reading the lineout, deciding where it's convenient to have the ball," Loffreda said. Argentina see the lineout as one of Ireland's strengths.

"His standard of low tackling is also very important. It's important for us to tackle very low. Without Leguizamon we lose a good (ball) carrier who can penetrate defences but we can replace that with other sorts of movements," Loffreda added.

Argentina's three victories - it beat France 17-12 and Georgia 33-3 - have put the Pumas top of the pool and they will qualify for the quarter-finals in that position if they beat the Irish.

Ireland, by contrast, must beat Argentina scoring four tries and by more than seven points to stay in the tournament.

Reuters


Argentina team
1 Rodrigo Roncero
2 Mario Ledesma
3 Martin Scelzo
4 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe
5 Patricio Albacete
6 Lucas Ostiglia
7 Juan Fernandez Lobbe
8 Gonzalo Longo

9 Agustin Pichot (captain)
10 Juan Martin Hernandez
11 Horacio Agulla
12 Felipe Contepomi
13 Manuel Contepomi
14 Lucas Borges
15 Ignacio Corleto

16 Alberto Vernet Basualdo
17 Omar Hasan
18 Rimas Alvarez
19 Martin Durand
20 Nicolas Fernandez Miranda
21 Federico Todeschini
22 Hernan Senillosa


Ireland team
1 Marcus Horan
2 Jerry Flannery
3 John Hayes
4 Donnacha O'Callaghan
5 Paul O'Connell
6 Simon Easterby
7 David Wallace
8 Denis Leamy

9 Eoin Reddan
10 Ronan O'Gara
11 Denis Hickie
12 Gordon D'Arcy
13 Brian O'Driscoll (c)
14 Shane Horgan
15 Geordan Murphy

16 Rory Best
17 Bryan Young
18 Malcolm O'Kelly
19 Neil Best
20 Isaac Boss
21 Paddy Wallace
22 Andrew Trimble