Saturday 3 October 2015 23:33, UK
Tonga will send out the oldest team in Rugby World Cup history against Argentina on Sunday as they bid to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
Tonga's line-up will have an average age of 31 years, 38 days, surpassing the record held by Samoa, which had an average of 31 years, 4 days against the United States on September 20.
The Tonga squad will also be the country's most experienced at the Cup, starting with 349 caps. That eclipses the record set in the win over Namibia on Tuesday.
The Sea Eagles lost their opening game to Georgia before defeating Namibia and with a game against New Zealand looming in their final Pool C fixture, they must defeat Argentina if they are to have any hope of progressing to the knockout stages.
Tonga made six changes following the Namibia win, and the line-up closely resembles the one which lost to Georgia 17-10 on the opening weekend.
Captain Nili Latu, Tonga's most capped player, returns in place of double try-scorer Jack Ram, and fly-half Kurt Morath, Tonga's leading scorer, starts again.
Also back was winger Fetu'u Vainikolo, who has the national try-scoring record.
Following the 54-9 win over Georgia last Friday, Argentina have changed seven players, bringing back fit-again Guido Petti, fellow lock Tomas Lavanini, flanker Pablo Matera and No. 8 Leonardo Senatore from the All Blacks game.
Argentina will field a first-time center pairing of Jeronimo De La Fuente and Matias Moroni, who replace Juan Martin Hernandez and Marcelo Bosch, the starters in the two previous matches against New Zealand and Georgia.
Tighthead prop Ramiro Herrera also earns his first start since he played in the first two games of the Rugby Championship then needed knee surgery. He was in the reserves in the first two Pool C games, and his return restores Argentina's best front row with captain and hooker Agustin Creevy and loosehead Marcos Ayerza.
With an average age of 26 years, 236 days, Argentina fields its youngest Cup team since the 1999 quarter-final loss to France.
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo; 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Agustin Creevy (captain), 3 Ramiro Herrera, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 8 Leonardo Senatore
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Lucas Noguera, 18 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Horacio Agulla
Tonga: 15 Vungakoto Lilo, 14 Telusa Veainu, 13 Siale Piutau, 12 Sione Piukala, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Kurth Morath, 9 Sonatane Takulua; 1 Soane Tonga'uiha, 2 Elvis Taione, 3 Halani 'Aulika, 4 Tukulua Lokotui, 5 Joe Tu'ineau, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Nili Latu (captain), 8 Viliami Ma'afu
Replacements: 16 Aleki Lutui, 17 Sona Taumalolo, 18 Sila Puafisi, 19 Sitiveni Mafi, 20 Opeti Fonua, 21 Samisoni Fisilau, 22 Latiume Fosita, 23 David Halaifonua.
