'Castro guzzled it all'What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago, these two sides would've been meat and drink for the big boys. Skills levels resembling a half-decent club side at best, structure and discipline not even registering on the minds of the players, and today's stars not even on our radar.
Saturday's clash in Cordoba showcases the two most improved sides in the world. Organised, passionate and no longer the whipping boys. If Italy have their way, the game will be bossed around an efficient set-piece and pivoting around the exceptional talents of captain Sergio Parisse.
Everyone wants him but we're the only one's that can have him - that's what Nick Mallett thinks of the influential Italian skipper Parisse, who bolsters the Italian pack after returning from a disappointing end to his club commitments.
Stade Francais' semi-final anguish means Parisse alongside both Bergamasco brothers, Mauro and Mirco join up with their international teammates as the Azzurri aim to improve on last weekend's comfortable defeat in Cape Town.
There will be a trio of Top 14 based boys wearing the blue & white hoops with Juan Martin Hernandez, Rodrigo Roncero and Marcelo Bosch joining their Italian club colleagues on the flight to Cordoba.
Felipe Contepomi's omission is a shock, especially considering his end of season form for Magners League champions, Leinster while the Guinness Premiership trio of Marcos Ayerza and the Fernandez Lobbe brothers, Juan and Ignacio drop out of the squad entirely.
If Hernandez displays all of his magic and the forwards give him a sufficient platform to work from then the nightmares haunting the Pumas following a gutting defeat to Scotland will be exonerated.
Italy meanwhile need to stick to what they're good at. Working tight around the fringes, keeping their shape whilst making the short yards and hoping Luke McLean orchestrates them into fruitful territory. First they must shake off the jet-lag.
Argentina: 15 Bernardo Stortoni, 14 Lucas Borges, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Miguel Avramovic, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Juan Martín Hernández, 9 Nicolás Vergallo, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Álvaro Galindo, 6 Martín Durand, 5 Esteban Lozada, 4 Manuel Carizza, 3 Juan Gómez, 2 Álvaro Tejeda, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements: 16 Pablo Gambarini, 17 Pedro Ledesma, 18 James Stuart, 19 Alejandro Campos, 20 Alfredo Lalanne, 21 Federico Martín Aramburu, 22 Hernán Senillosa.
Italy: 15 Andrea Marcato, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Mirco Bergamasco, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Matteo Pratichetti, 10 Luke McLean, 9 Simon Picone, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Josh Sole, 5 Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 4 Santiago Dellape, 3 Carlos Nieto, 2 Fabio Ongaro, 1 Ignacio Rouyet.
Replacements: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Alex Moreno, 18 Tommaso Reato, 19 Alessandro Zanni, 20 Pablo Canavosio, 21 Enrico Patrizio, 22 Riccardo Pavan/Jaco Erasmus.