Argentina’s Jaguares have completed Australia’s round of Super Rugby misery with a 25-20 win over the Brumbies in Canberra.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Brumbies 20
Jaguares 25
It has been an ugly round for their Australian counterparts. Can the Brumbies pinch a game back when they host the Jaguares in Canberra this afternoon? Join The Roar for live scores and a blog from 4:05pm AEST.
The Brumbies have been handed a lifeline in the Australian conference thanks to an insipid performance from the Waratahs on Friday night, and a loss from the Rebels to the Bulls in South Africa overnight.
They’ll keep within striking distance of the top of the conference if they can win in the nation’s capital this afternoon.
So… team news:
Dan McKellar has made four changes to the home sides run on fifteen. Christian Lealifano will have a week off, with Kyle Godwin taking his place at inside centre. Matt Lucas drops to the bench, allowing Joe Powell a start. Chance Peni and Tom Banks round out a back three that sees Henry Speight return on the right wing.
For Mario Ledesma’s Jaguares, fullback Joaquin Tuculet returns in a boost for the visitors. Emiliano Boffelli shifts to the wing, whilst Martin Landajo has been relegated to the bench – Gonzalo Bertranou taking his place at scrumhalf.
The two sides form-lines heading into this clash couldn’t be more contrasting.
The Brumbies were stoic in the first 60 minutes against the Highlanders last start, before running out of gas in the final stages of the game – eventually losing 43-17.
The Jaguares wrestled themselves out of a form slump, however, with a win against the Melbourne Rebels.
Where the game will be won
Who wants it more?
Both sides have a 3-4, win-loss record heading into this one, and whoever loses puts themselves on the back foot heading into the moving stages of the season. The Brumbies have key finishers out wide, and they’ll need all the firepower in attack that they can get against a very strong Jags set piece.
The game will be decided in the last 20, and I think the home ground advantage counts for some here.
Brumbies by 7
Join The Roar for live scores of the match, starting from 4:05pm AEDT.
JesuitGeneralBlackPope
Guest
Haha.. Jaguars is a very unpredictable team with these guys you never know
cuw
Guest
the bad thing is - coach is slowly killing the player by putting him on the park. on one side am sure his confidence is low and it is reflected in the way he reacts. on the other side fans are turning against him and calling for his head. super rugger teams shud look at the IPL - no name is too big to be dropped from the team. if ur not middling the ball or hitting the length - ur out , go back to the nets !!!
Akari
Roar Rookie
remember what i said after he let Naiyaravoro cruise past him? I know and it's hard ignore as that comes to mind every time I see Speight on the field.
Akari
Roar Rookie
for eg. why did the Rebel scrum half play till the end despite obvios cramps ?? is it becoz of what u say – that the coach does not trust his bench , despite putting him there? You could be right there, cuw. The replacement half then came on with less than a minute to go? Ridiculous.
Akari
Roar Rookie
I don't think it's too much to expect better of these highly paid but poorly performing players, Fionn. And I don't have any time for Taqele Naiyaravoro's bunny, oops, medic.
Old Bugger
Guest
On the button Baz......so, the quicker they revert back to a round-robin competition will not only cause more torment for those clubs playing against NZ but hopefully, it may allow those same clubs, to review their own games and search for ways, to improve. You're spot on mate when you say, you don't improve as a team playing other teams, of the same standard.
Fionn
Guest
I don't know what the answer is, but what we have now isn't working. Do we thrust one of the young guys in, or would that be unfair to them like Jake McIntyre? Do we go for an oldie like Gits or Barnes? Toomua is under contract. Does Quade come to the Brumbies or is he uninterested/QRU block it? I don't know, but what we have now isn't working.
Baz
Guest
@Fionn Do the Brums need to look over seas (maybe Gits) for a number 10? Hawera is useless and I am not sure CL is back to top gear yet.
Baz
Guest
So the number of franchises per country depends on what game standard we wish to watch. To be fair I enjoy watching a Kiwi derby at the moment because the skills and fitness are so good (even though I am a Brumbies supporter). Oz derbies are just a terrible standard at the moment not just because of skills but also because of fitness and effort. The Kiwi standard should be the bar. Adjust the Oz and SA franchise numbers to ensure they are competitive at the existing Kiwi level. Don't dilute the over all standard of the product to make Australia and SA competitive. Further I think the existing conference system has not helped the standard of Australian Rugby. The conference system acts like economic industry tariffs. We reward teams for mediocre performance. If I was an Australian coach I would want to compete against the best every week. I have little interest in the outcome of Australian derbies. The games that are a measure of our progress are those against the top 4 kiwi sides or the Lions. You don't improve as a team playing other teams of the same standard.
Baz
Guest
So we know skills, and match tactics are also an issue but as I see it there are no excuses for lack of match fitness. This is just sheer laziness which I find abhorrent.. Rod Kafer has been brought in to fix the skills deficit but by the time a player reaches Super Rugby level it is arguably too late. Skills are a long term proposition that need to be learnt early. Fitness can be fixed quickly however. It just requires effort. If the RUA is unable to rely on franchises to implement effective fitness programs, they need to manage and coordinate this part of the program them selves. Get some one in who is able to direct and monitor player conditioning nationally. I would be happy to watch a losing franchise that loses matches but at least out works the opposition for 80 minutes. The garbage that the RUA are asking us to patronize lacks preparation and dedication and are not worthy of our support and the financial benefits that Super Rugby offers.
DNZ
Guest
It is obvious that the Aussie sides are not fit enough. They have been dying after 60 minutes for a few seasons now. Only need to look at the number of resets, the lack of ball in play etc by Aussie sides and you realise they are really off the pace.
Baz
Guest
spot on. Wondering if it is aerobic fitness?????
Cliff (Bishkek)
Guest
The bear in the kitchen on selection is Cheika!! End of story. He will do his best to not select those in form or any likely up and comers!!
Cliff (Bishkek)
Guest
CUW, Speight has always been overrated. He should have been booted from the Brumbies and the Wallabies a very long time ago. And in answer to a comment below on players being dropped. There is a serious problem in Aus Rugby which has been here for years - it is called "Player Power" and the players rule the Coach; even Cheika!!
Cliff (Bishkek)
Guest
Fionn, Lealiifano is not the answer. I watched the Brumbies the other week and he was atrocious; no rugby nous and poor decision making. He never was the answer in Australia and he is not now for the Brumbies. A very poor manager of a backline.
Dan in Devon
Guest
Perese is the kind of young player I would like to see moved into the Wallaby set up and given time to develop into a test level footballer.
Dontcallmeshirley
Guest
I don't think that is actually a word
Touko
Guest
I only saw the Brumbies game this w/e, but they were so pathetic I screamed at the TV to replace these 'professionals' with hard working journeyman from Tuggeranong. Henry Speight came in and gifted the Jaguares two tries. As for the replacement halfback, Christ! Twice he stood over the ruck whining about something and let the Jaguares pick up the ball. I would have both of them out of the squad (and in the case of Speight, I love him, but you can't be gifting your opponents tries because you have repeated brain farts). Sadly for the Brumbies it looks like it's time to rebuild. PS. And maybe Steve Larkham wasn't such a bad coach after all.
Melburnian
Roar Pro
I got the sense from watching this weekend's games that Australian teams were just so slow in recycling the ball at the breakdown on attack. The Speed with which the Jaguares got the ball out from the ruck to maintain the attack was breathtaking. The Brumbies didn't have time to reset their defence. By comparison, too often there was no one in the halfback role for the Aussie teams or they were very late in following up causing the attack to lose momentum. To that end, the Jaguares seemed much more like the top NZ teams in attack. The Aussie teams seemed much more like the English - ponderous and slow so not capable of guile to break the line.
cuw
Guest
watched all 7 for the first time this year - and 3 IPL matches also :) somehow the misery of watching some onesided / poor quality rugger is evaporated by watching Galye and ABD go crazy ( and loooong ) :P