Argentina rugby star in car crash

Argentina winger Santiago Cordero will miss the first half of the Jaguares’ Super Rugby club’s trip to New Zealand and Japan after suffering cuts and bruises in a car accident.

Cordero, one of the standouts for Argentina at last year’s World Cup, was driving in wet conditions on Saturday night after the Jaguares’ 13-8 loss to the Stormers at Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires.

“I was on my way back home, it was raining a bit and suddenly I lost control of the car,” Cordero was quoted as saying by the Argentine Rugby Union on Sunday. “Luckily it was just a fright and I’m ok.”

Cordero had been scheduled to fly with the Jaguares from Buenos Aires to Auckland on Sunday but will instead join them in two weeks’ time, with his place taken by Ramiro Moyano.

The Jaguares, who have won one and lost three of their matches in their debut season, play the Blues in Auckland on Saturday before meeting the Hurricanes and Crusaders on the following two weekends.

They then fly to Tokyo to meet the Sunwolves on April 23.

The Jaguares will also rest captain Agustin Creevy, fullback Joaquin Tuculet, back Juan Martin Hernandez and back-row Juan Manuel Leguizamon until the match against the Crusaders.