LIVE: Electric All Blacks carve up Cheika's Pumas

The All Blacks and Argentina volition statesman their countdowns to the Rugby World Cup connected Sunday (5.10am AEST) erstwhile they conscionable successful Mendoza successful the archetypal circular of the Rugby Championship.

The metropolis successful the foothills of the Andes volition beryllium hosting the All Blacks successful a Test lucifer for the archetypal clip and tickets sold retired 2 months ago.

There volition beryllium conscionable implicit 60 days erstwhile the lucifer is played until New Zealand runs retired against France astatine Stade de France successful the archetypal lucifer of the 2023 World Cup.

The Pumas and the All Blacks squads are apt to germinate implicit that period.

Both lineups incorporate elements of experimentation arsenic coaches enactment retired their astir effectual combinations.

Damian McKenzie volition commencement astatine flyhalf for New Zealand for the 3rd clip successful his 41st Test arsenic All Blacks manager Ian Foster examines his options astatine No.10 and imaginable playmaker combinations. Beauden Barrett is astatine fullback and Richie Mo'unga is connected the bench.

"We person intelligibly got Beauden astatine fullback and Richie astatine 10 truthful we person a spot of a luxury determination astatine the moment," Foster said. "It's conscionable a bully ballot of assurance successful Damian.

"When you person been retired of the All Blacks for a portion determination is ever a spot of nerves and I deliberation this is simply a large mode for him to travel successful and hopefully play from a presumption of strength."

McKenzie played successful Japan past twelvemonth successful a determination which could person ended his planetary career. But helium has won implicit Foster arsenic astir apt the astir accordant New Zealand playmaker of the play successful Super Rugby.

Argentina has recalled tighthead prop Lucio Sordoni, who played his astir caller Test successful 2020 and since past has been regularly sidelined by injuries. There are 5 changes to the Argentine squad from its past Test, a nonaccomplishment successful Scotland successful November.

Emiliano Boffelli volition commencement astatine fullback, having played each Test since Australian Michael Cheika took implicit arsenic coach. Julias Montoya volition skipper the Pumas from hooker with the seasoned Agustin Creevy connected the bench.

Last year, the Pumas bushed New Zealand away, Australia astatine location and England distant aft opening their play with a bid triumph astatine location against Scotland.

This week, Cheika has been concentrating connected 1 happening aft players returned from clubs successful Europe.

"It truly focuses, sharpens the caput erstwhile you person to play New Zealand archetypal up," helium said. "And I similar that. The boys similar that, too. You've felt the strength emergence this week. The tension. The aggression successful training.

"I couldn't truly person asked for overmuch much considering immoderate of the things that are enactment successful beforehand of us. "I consciousness similar we've had a truly affirmative mentation with a batch of committedness from our players."

Both teams privation a beardown commencement to the play to physique assurance and momentum for the World Cup.

"This is simply a large trial for america and we're not reasoning excessively acold beyond that," Foster said. "We (haven't) had our archetypal trial of the twelvemonth distant from location for a agelong clip truthful it's been a situation for us, peculiarly coming to Mendoza and a assured Argentinian team.

"We've inactive got a spot of gathering to beryllium wherever we request to beryllium for the World Cup. This is wherever the Rugby Championship becomes important and what's captious is that we physique our mode done this tourney truthful that we are adapting and growing."

Argentina: Emiliano Boffelli, Bautista Delguy, Matias Moroni, Lucio Cinti, Mateo Carreras, Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou, Rodrigo Bruni, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Pablo Matera, Tomas Lavanini, Matias Alemanno, Lucio Sordoni, Julian Montoya (c), Thomas Gallo

Reserves: Agustin Creevy, Mayco Vivas, Eduardo Bello, Pedro Rubiolo, Santiago Grondona, Lautaro Bazan Velez, Nicolas Sanchez, Matias Orlando

New Zealand: Beauden Barrett, Emoni Narawa, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Damian McKenzie, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (c), Shannon Frizell, Josh Lord, Scott Barrett, Tyrel Lomax, Dane Coles, Ethan de Groot

Reserves: Codie Taylor, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Nepo Laulala, Tupou Vaa'i, Dalton Papali'i, Finlay Christie, Richie Mo'unga, Braydon Ennor