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.
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.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
?great post and welcome!
Colonel_Fabien
Roar Rookie
Hi y'all fair dinkums from Down Under & other rugby visitors from the rest of the world. I'm an armchair rugby fan, here to support Argentina and exchange good-hearted banter. Maybe in 2017 the Jaguares will show a better game, but I don't dare to hope too much for it. They're still learning to adapt to SR and some of them are way too eager to show they'd deserve a spot with Los Pumas. There's also the travel factor. Although as an armchair rugby fan I don't buy too much of it, nevertheless I, as everybody else, have to give at least some credit to several complaints from previous years and other teams that travelling does indeed takes some toll. What I mean is that I don't quite get how come, after say 14 hours in a plane, when you spend a few days or a week in the host country, travel tiredness may be an excuse; but they still serve it from time to time. I'm quite ignorant -that's the right word- on the matter, here to learn some more. Hopefully, in a few years' time, Sanzaar will implement some sort of alternation btw host nations/conferences, so on a given year the Jaguares will be having more matches at home - that may help, and render the SR/conferences more exciting b/c of eventually the Jaguares seriously challenging the established order. The same goes for any future 2nd or 3rd Argie franchise that eventually makes it to SR. Voilà, that's all for now. Happy to be here and ¡Vamos, Jaguares! ;-)
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Well, now is oficial Facundo Isa is gone to Toulon. I , the Jaguares, and the Pumas will miss him.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Just inn, Herrera y Ortega Desio will not be able to play in first round and may not be able to go to SA at all, both have muscle problems during training today. The training camp looks like a hospital.
Harry Jones
Expert
Thanks, Nobes! I think it'll be a strong year. Takes a year or more to grow accustomed; even with Test players.
RedandBlack
Guest
Still gonna be a tough year but i hope you all get more comfortable and start to establish some wins. A good home record will be a great start - maybe wait till next year before you win the whole damn thing - no rush - plenty of long term teams have never done that yet.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
It is a matter of time. The day will come.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Thank you for the good update No Brain. Rooting for the Jags (except for if they play the Tahs, naturally :-)). I actually watched the proto-jaguars play the Tahs B team in 2015, in Eastwood, in preparation for their inaugural season. Even practiced my rusty Spanish with one of the team doctors. Hopefully someday a Brazilian player will also make it to the squad. Here's hoping.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
If you use Horne example instead of Cruden 's the case will be different.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
?
kunming tiger
Guest
Hopefully interest in SR will increase across the continent and the performances of the Jagurares in coming years will improve to the point where a second franchise there can be justified . . Ultimately you want a stand alone conference in South America.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
I agree with you . However the people in charge have a different view.
paladeperre
Guest
In fact, Facundo Isa could be playing at Jaguares this year as his contract with a french club would not start until the second half of 2017. He is in the same conditions as Aaron Cruden with the difference that this one will play for the Chiefs during this season and who Steve Hansen said he will consider to be part of the AB on the Lions tour. The difference between profesionals and amateurs??
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Same here, we had some severe storms and it looks that wie will have some more next week.?
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Manuel Montero gets injure very often and in my personal opinion he has lost speed . It seems that he has gain muscle weight at the expense of speed, but if he manages to keep healthy and has some type of continuity he has the pontencial.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Thanks for the update Nobrain... I sincerely hope the Jags make more of fist of this season than the last. Talking of updates it's 44 degrees here in Sydney and they are expecting records to be broken for temps tomorrow. These are not the sort of records you want... trust me! :)
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Thank you for that round-up NB. I am particularly looking forward to watching Manuel Montero on the wing this season - I think he will be a SR star in the making!
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Totally agree with you, the game plans were pretty much the same against all the teams. The coaching staff has been under pressure from press and public in general and also Greg Peters , he has left this years, lets hope that they learned from last year experience.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
I agree DH, if the coaching staff does nout mature and change the strategy a bit the team will strugle a bit. The intention is to keep developing depth, unfortunelly who ever shines this year will receive an offer from the NH that UAR will not be able to match.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Thanks Shop, Argentina will always have a dificult travel schedule for its location and for being the only team in America. Lets hope than in the future more teams from this region will join SR and some derbus develop so the travel will not be that bad.