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The Jaguares will hope for more in 2017

Roar Guru
9th February, 2017
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The Jaguares went down valiantly to the Sharks. (Image: supplied)
Roar Guru
9th February, 2017
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The Jaguares began the 2016 edition of Super Rugby as the Cinderella that hoped to at least make it to the playoffs, but the reality check quickly came along for the debutantes and they finished with a very poor record, playing poor rugby.

With the experience gained from last year they are hoping to do better in 2017, facing what appears to be an easier schedule by not having to play any of the teams from New Zealand, instead they will face the teams from Australia.

The coaching staff remains the same, but they will have more players to select since the Argentina XV that is currently playing the Americas Cup are training together with the Jaguares, and the coaches will be able to move players from one team to the other as they please, giving them great depth to choose from than they had last year.

The Argentina XV is currently coached by Felipe Contepomi and the elder brother of Fenandez Lobbe, Ignacio. Agustin Creevy remains as a captain.

The big loss for Jaguares and Los Pumas this year is Facundo Isa, who had such an impact on the team as well as Los Pumas in 2016 that he received substantial offers from Toulon and Toulouse that are impossible to match. Even though Facundo has not made his decisión yet, he is no longer training with the team.

The other player that is not any longer on the payroll is Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.

With the inclusion of the Argentina XV we will be able to see new unfamiliar faces in part due to large injury list the Jaguares face before Round 1.

Nicolas Sanchez, Martin Landajo, Juan Martin Hernandez, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Matias Moroni, and Tomas Lavanini will not be in condition to start the season, also Enrique Pieretto is suspended.

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The good news is that you will get to know the new players – the absence of Landajo and Sanchez to conduct the Jaguares against the Kings will give the chance to Gonzalo Bertranou and Felipe Ezcurra to fight for the scrum-half position.

Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias will compete with Joaquin Diaz Bonilla for fly-half. Another player that may have some playing time is Benjamin Macome as No.8, who will be competing for that position with Leo Senatore trying to fill the shoes left by Facundo Isa.

In a push to expand the interest on the region the Jaguares have included a center from Uruguay – Nicolas Freitas has joined the Jaguares and his salary will be under the responsibility of the rugby union of Uruguay.

The team has played two friendly matches so far this year, one against the Argentina XV (68-14 in favour of the Jaguares), and 61-7 against Uruguay.

Possible team against the Kings
15. Joaquin Tuculet, 14. Santiago Cordero, 13. Jeronimo de la Fuente, 12. Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 11. Manuel Montero, 10. Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, 9. Gonzalo Bertranou, 8. Leonardo Senatore, 7. Javier Ortega Desio, 6. Pablo Matera, 5. Marcos Kremer, 4. Guido Petti, 3. Ramiro Herrera, 2. Agustin Creevy, 1. Lucas Noguera Paz.

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