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PARIS - Argentina named an unchanged side for the World Cup semi-final against South Africa at the Stade de France on Monday (NZ time).
Captain Agustin Pichot, first five-eighths Juan Martin Hernandez, centre Felipe Contepomi and fullback Ignacio Corleto have all got over minor ailments and will be
fit to play.
Flanker Lucas Ostigilia retains his place on the blind side with Juan Manuel Leguizamon, who had began the tournament as first choice in the back row, starting on the bench again.
There was one change on the bench with centre Gonzalo Tiesi replacing utility back Hernan Senillosa, who came on in the second half of the 19-13 quarter-final victory over Scotland.
Argentina, in their first World Cup semi-final, will be looking to beat the Springboks for the first time having lost all 11 of their test matches since their initial meeting in Buenos Aires in 1993.
Meanwhile, tighthead prop CJ van der Linde was recalled after injury as South Africa named their most experienced side for Monday's match.
Van der Linde, in for Jannie du Plessis, is the only change to the side that began last weekend's 37-20 quarter-final win over Fiji in Marseille.
The starting side against the Pumas will boast 653 test caps between them, beating the previous Springbok record of 609 set in their opening pool match against Samoa.
Van der Linde was initially picked to play against the Pacific Islanders but pulled out on the eve of the match with a knee injury.
"Having CJ back is obviously quite a big boost for us because I think he's had a phenomenal season so far," South Africa captain John Smit, who will lead the Springboks for the 47th time, told a news conference.
"Obviously with the ball which is expected of CJ, but in the scrums he's been colossal as well. It'll give us a lot of stability up front."
Du Plessis kept his place in the 22-man squad as part of a reshuffled bench that included his brother Bismarck, and former Springbok skipper Bob Skinstad.
Bismarck also pulled out of the Fiji match with injury but returns at the expense of Gary Botha while Skinstad replaced Wikus van Heerden.
"Bob brings something a bit different," said Smit.
"Whether it's in terms of getting a ball away in an offload, hitting a gap or some kind of magic which we've all seen him do before."
Loosehead prop Os Du Randt, the only survivor from the South Africa team that won the World Cup at home in 1995, joins a select band of players to take part in three World Cup semi-finals.
Argentina
15-Ignacio Corleto, 14-Lucas Borges, 13-Manuel Contepomi, 12-Felipe Contepomi, 11-Horacio Agulla, 10-Juan Martin Hernandez, 9-Agustin Pichot (captain), 8-Gonzalo Longo, 7-Juan Fernandez Lobbe, 6-Lucas Ostiglia, 5-Patricio Albacete, 4-Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, 3-Martin Scelzo, 2-Mario Ledesma, 1-Rodrigo Roncero
Reserves: 16-Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17-Omar Hasan, 18-Rimas Alvarez, 19-Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 20-Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, 21-Federico Todeschini, 22-Gonzalo Tiesi.
South Africa
15-Percy Montgomery, 14-JP Pietersen, 13-Jaque Fourie, 12-Francois Steyn, 11-Bryan Habana, 10-Butch James, 9-Fourie du Preez, 8-Danie Rossouw, 7-Juan Smith, 6-Schalk Burger, 5-Victor Matfield, 4-Bakkies Botha, 3-CJ van der Linde, 2-John Smit (captain), 1-Os du Randt
Reserves: 16-Bismarck du Plessis, 17-Jannie du Plessis, 18-Johann Muller, 19-Bob Skinstad, 20-Ruan Pienaar, 21-Andre Pretorius, 22-Wynand Olivier.
- REUTERS
