RUGBY: Ireland's key World Cup opponents Argentina have chosen centre Lisandro Arbizu to captain them this year in what will be his fourth world finals tournament.
Arbizu, who was injured during the second Test victory over France and missed the Pumas' narrow defeat to South Africa in June, has been named by coach Marcelo Loffreda in a 38-man Argentina squad.
Scrumhalf Agustin Pichot, who missed all three Tests in June through injury, was another automatic choice for his third World Cup. Pichot, then 19, was a squad member but did not play in the 1995 tournament in South Africa. Forwards Federico Mendez and Pedro Sporleder were also picked for their fourth World Cups.
Argentina, quarter-finalists in 1999, face hosts Australia in the opening match of the World Cup in Sydney on October 10th.
The Pumas will play Fiji in Cordoba on August 18th, and then host the four-nation Pan-American Cup in Buenos Aires when they will meet the United States on August 23rd, Uruguay on August 27th and Canada on August 30th in their final World Cup warm-up tests.
ARGENTINA SQUAD: Backs - Diego Albanese, Matias Albina, Lisandro Arbizu (capt), Octavio Bartolucci, Felipe Contepomi, Manuel Contepomi, Ignacio Corleto, Juan de la Cruz Fernandez Miranda, Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Martin Gaitan, Juan Martin Hernandez, Jose Maria Nunez Piossek, Jose Orengo, Agustin Pichot, Gonzalo Quesada, Hernan Senillosa, Bernardo Stortoni.
Forwards - Patricio Albacete, Rimas Alvarez, Pablo Bouza, Martin Durand, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino, Roberto Grau, Omar Hasan, Mario Ledesma, Gonzalo Longo, Rolando Martin, Federico Mendez, Lucas Ostiglia, Santiago Phelan, Mauricio Reggiardo, Rodrigo Roncero, Santiago Sanz, Martin Scelzo, Pedro Sporleder, Mariano Sambucetti, Martin Schusterman.
