FORMER Dragons tighthead Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro will have Wales in his sights for the first time when he lines up for Argentina tomorrow evening.

The prop will go up against his former Rodney Parade teammates Cory Hill, Elliot Dee and Hallam Amos in San Juan (kick-off 7.40pm) after being named in a heavyweight Pumas pack.

Coach Daniel Hourcade has been boosted by the fitness of fly-half Nicolas Sanchez after a rib injury while there is plenty of running threat out wide.

Yet it’s up front where the hosts will attempt to win the game against an inexperienced Wales pack that boasts of a combined tally of just 65 caps.

World class hooker Agustin Creevy has more than that on his own and will lead the charge on his 72nd international outing while 6ft 2ins, 19st prop Chaparro will be out to prove a point.

South Wales Argus:

The 28-year-old signed for the Dragons from Stade Francais in 2013/14 and made 18 appearances, 10 of them starts. 

Chaparro played when hooker Dee made his professional debut against Mogliano in the European Challenge Cup and was in the tight five with Hill at Glasgow when the lock made his PRO12 bow for the region.

His final outing of a hit-and-miss campaign saw him red-carded for a tip tackle on Leinster’s Isaac Boss in Dublin when the clock was in the red (the penalty allowed the hosts to then deny the Dragons a losing bonus) and the Argentine was slapped with a 10-week ban.

The prop, who at the time had three caps after making his Test debut aged 20 against Chile in 2010, was released from the final year of his contract by Lyn Jones (he had been signed by Darren Edwards) and returned to play for La Plata, the amateur club in Buenos Aires where he first played the game.

He quickly headed back to Europe with Lyon in the Top 14 as injury cover but since 2016 has been a member of the Jaguares, Argentina’s Super Rugby franchise.

Chaparro was a popular member of the Dragons squad but it wasn't controversial when he left Rodney Parade because hadn't proved to be the answer for their struggling scrum, albeit he was young in propping years.

The region ended the campaign with 39-year-old Duncan Bell at tighthead after he had been tempted out of retirement while South African Brok Harris would arrive the following autumn and prove to be one of the Dragons' finest overseas players.

Chaparro, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength on the Test scene – he played at the 2015 World Cup and has racked up 41 caps.

This weekend he will face Wales for the first time.

Argentina: E Boffelli; B Delguy, M Orlando, J De La Fuente, R Moyano; N Sanchex, G Bertranou; S Garcia Botta, A Creevy (captain), N Tetaz Chaparro, G Petti, T Lavanini, P Matera, J Ortega Desio, M Kremer.

Replacements: J Montoya, J Diaz, S Medrano, M Alemanno, T Lezana, M Landajo, S Gonzalez Iglesias, S Cancelliere.