Argentina name British-based players in squad to face Scotland

Argentina's Horacio Agulla has been playing for Bath for the past two seasons

Argentina head coach Daniel Hourcade has named six British-based players in his 30-man squad to face Scotland, Italy and France in November.

Bath's Horacio Agulla, Saracens' Marcelo Bosch and Cardiff Blues' Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino are among the backs.

Leicester Tigers prop Marcos Ayerza is joined in the forwards by hooker Agustin Creevy and number eight Leonardo Senatore, both of Worcester.

Argentina start their northern tour at Murrayfield on 8 November.

Hourcade's squad then play in Genoa a week later and Paris on 22 November, when nine of the squad will by vying to face the nation where they play their club rugby.

Prop Ramiro Herrera is with Castres Olympique, flanker Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and fly-half Nicolas Sanchez are with Toulon, number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamon and prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro are with Olympique Lyon, while full-back Juan Imhoff and lock Tomas Lavanini are at Racing Metro and flanker Benjamin Macome at Bayonne.

Stade Francais lock Juan Cruz Guillemain is one of five players new to the squad since they showed improvement in last month's Rugby Championship, in which they registered their first win in the tournament over Australia.

The others are CUBA centre Matias Moroni, Pampas full-back Santiago Cordero, University Tucuman hooker Santiago Iglesias Valdez and SIC forward Guido Petti.

Cardiff Blues' Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino is part of the Argentina squad for the autumn tour

Hourcade said: "Scotland have a new coach who took on the mid-year tour, so for us it is a bit of a mystery to know what will be the team that will face us.

"The reality is that we must keep our feet on the ground. Two of the three rivals are above us in the rankings and have always been competent at the first level.

"We have to face this with the utmost humility and have respect for the opponent.

"Also, we're playing away and rivals will be prepared for an Argentine team that attracted attention after the victory over Australia."

The match at Murrayfield will be Vern Cotter's first on home soil as Scotland coach and also marks the first match in the home side's autumn series.

Scotland face New Zealand the following Saturday at the same venue before taking on Tonga at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, a week later.

Cotter will be hoping his side recapture the form shown in their 21-19 win over the Pumas in Cordoba during the summer tour.

Scotland suffered a 9-6 defeat the last time Argentina visited Murrayfield, in 2009.

The teams have met four times since then, with Scotland winning both Tests during the summer tour to Argentina in 2010.

However, the Scots suffered a one-point defeat in the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Argentina squad

Backs: Horacio Agulla (Bath), Marcelo Bosch (Saracens), Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino (Cardiff Blues), Santiago Cordero (Regatas Bella Vista), Thomas Cubelli (Belgrano Athletic), Jerome De la Fuente (RC Elves), Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias (Alumni Association), Juan Martín Hernandez (unattached), Juan Imhoff (Racing Metro), Martin Landajo (CASI), Manuel Montero (Pucara), Matías Moroni (CUBA), Nicolas Sanchez (Toulon), Joaquin Tuculet (unattached).

Forwards: Matias Alemanno (La Tablada), Marcos Ivan Ayerza (Leicester Tigers), Rodrigo Baez (RC Liceo), Matias Cortese (RC Liceo), Agustin Creevy (Worcester Warriors), Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Toulon), Juan Cruz Guillemain (Stade Francais), Ramiro Herrera (Castres Olympique), Santiago Iglesias Valdez (University Tucumán), Thomas Lavanini (Racing Metro), Juan Manuel Leguizamón (Olympique Lyon), Benjamin Macome (Bayonne), Lucas Noguera Peace (Lynx RC), Guido Petti (SIC), Leonardo Senatore (Worcester Warriors), Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Olympique Lyon).