Argentina

Argentina make six changes

The Pumas fell to a 37-15 loss against the Springboks in Port Elizabeth last weekend and head coach Daniel Hourcade has rung the changes as a result, with Cubelli elevated to the first XV at the expense of scrum-half Martin Landajo.

Nicolas Sanchez loses his place at fly-half to the more experienced Juan Martin Hernandez, with the other switches coming in the forward pack.

Lucas Noguera and Ramiro Herrera enter in the prop positions, while Matias Alemanno will start at lock with Juan Manuel Leguizamon taking Leonardo Senatore's number eight shirt.

Springboks impress against Pumas

Allister Coetzee's side endured a miserable 2016, but now boast four wins from four this year.

The strength, speed and superb handling that has graced great Springbok sides in the past were all present as they dominated against the Pumas, particularly in the scrum.

Elton Jantjies' accurate kicking set them apart from their visitors, while there were first international tries for lively wingers Courtnall Skosan and Raymond Rhule.

Boks aiming for momentum against Pumas

Springbok rugby was in crisis at the turn of the year after the side lost eight of their 12 tests in 2016, including historic defeats to Argentina, Italy and Ireland.

The South Africans are now hoping to build on a 3-0 clean-sweep of their June series against a depleted France.

Coach Allister Coetzee narrowly survived the axe, and promised the worst was over and that the side would be more competitive this season.

Argentina hosts Lionel Messi's 'wedding of the century'

A civil ceremony for Messi, 30, and Antonela Roccuzzo, 29, was held at a luxury hotel in the city of Rosario.

Football stars and celebrities were among the 260 guests, with hundreds of police deployed for the event.

Messi, the Argentina and Barcelona forward, met Roccuzzo as a child before he moved to Spain aged just 13.

Among the guests at Friday's wedding were Messi's Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez, Neymar, Gerard Piqué and his wife, Colombia's pop star Shakira. A number of guests flew into Rosario on private jets.

Argentina win first Davis Cup title

Argentina have won their first ever Davis Cup tennis title after Juan Martin Del Potro and Federico Delbonis won this morning's reverse singles to seal their comeback 3-2 win over hosts Croatia in the final.

Croatia led 2-1 going into the final day in Zagreb and looked on course for their second title when Marin Cilic led Juan Martin del Potro by two sets to love.

But Del Potro staged a remarkable comeback to win 6-7 2-6 7-5 6-4 6-3 in four hours 53 minutes.

Federico Delbonis then swept past Ivo Karlovic 6-3 6-4 6-2 in the decisive fifth contest to clinch victory.

Argentine women to strike after fatal rape of teenager

Lucia Perez, 16, died earlier this month in the city of Mar del Plata.

Two men who dropped her off at a hospital on 8 October, freshly washed and dressed, said she had overdosed on drugs. But doctors found evidence of extreme sexual violence.

A march will begin at 17:00 local time (20:00 GMT) in the capital, Buenos Aires.

Activist groups are calling on women to wear black when they walk out of their places of work for an hour at midday on Wednesday (14:00 GMT). They are calling the actions Miercoles Negro - Spanish for Black Wednesday.

All Blacks smash Pumas

Having already sealed the 2016 Rugby Championship crown, Steve Hansen's imperious world champions now have the record books in sight, as they notched a 16th victory in succession in Buenos Aires.

New Zealand and South Africa jointly hold the record of 17 straight wins, set in the 1960s and 1990s respectively.

Hansen's All Blacks can match the achievements of their predecessors if they beat the Springboks in Durban next weekend.

Stamina the key in Pumas quest to beat All Blacks

 The Pumas took more points off the All Blacks than in any previous clash when they scored 22 and were equal to their opponents for nearly three quarters of their previous clash in Hamilton three weeks ago.

They were let down, however, by their failure to stay the pace for 80 minutes and lost 57-22, but hope to have learned some lessons as they look to end a run of 22 losses and a draw against the All Blacks.

"In the 60th minute I couldn't catch my breath anymore," loose forward Javier Ortega Desio said.

Bauza critical of Barca's Messi game management

The superstar forward was brought off during the second half of Barca's 1-1 LaLiga draw against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Barca later confirmed that the 29-year-old is set to miss around three weeks of action with a groin strain, with Messi having suffered a similar injury during the last international break with Argentina.

And Bauza has hinted at an air of hypocrisy from Barca, claiming the Catalan club are guilty of overusing their star player.

Setback for Argentina with Aguero injured

RNZ reports Aguero and Paris St Germain midfielder Javier Pastore have pulled out of this week's home game with Uruguay and the visit to Venezuela next week, coach Edgardo Bauza's first matches in charge, the Argentine FA said.

"Sergio Aguero has a left calf muscle injury and Javier Pastore has pulled the soleus in his right calf. For this reason they won't be present for this qualifying double header with the Argentina team," the FA said on their website.