Argentina, who reached the semi-finals at last year’s World Cup, also secured some big results in this season’s Rugby Championship, beating New Zealand in Wellington and world champions South Africa at home. They also scored 67 points in a home win over Australia.
Ireland have won 13 of the 19 Test encounters between the countries – including all 10 at home – but the Pumas have won three of their four World Cup encounters including the most recent 2015 quarter-final when they earned a 43-20 win over an injury-hit Irish side in Cardiff.
Robbie Henshaw, Conor Murray, Cian Healy and Iain Henderson, all of whom featured that day, are still in the Ireland squad while Matias Alemanno and Connacht’s Santiago Cordero remain part of Argentina’s plans although they have not been named in the squad for Friday’s match.
Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi is back in Dublin where he spent six years as a player with Leinster between 2003 and 2009 in addition to a later four-season coaching stint with the Irish province.
Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia; Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Matias Moroni, Bautista Delguy; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Bertranou; Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya (capt), Joel Sclavi; Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo; Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo
Replacements: Ignacio Ruiz, Ignacio Calles, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Franco Molina, Santiago Grondona, Gonzalo Garcia, Santiago Carreras, Justo Piccardo.
