'Ready to go': Jaguares set for early return to Super Rugby if Rebels fall over
Six months after Argentina rugby president  Gabriel Travaglini revealed the Jaguares had been invited to return to Super Rugby in 2026, Super Rugby officials…
The Jaguares and the Kings have only pride left to play for when they meet in the first round of Super Rugby since the June International break. Join The Roar for live scores of the match at Estadio Jose Amalfitani early on Saturday morning, starting from 9am AEST.
Both of these sides has flirted with some quality rugby at times this year but neither has quite done it consistently enough to be threatening for a spot in the play-offs.
The Jaguares have a 5-7 record for the lost year and a +3 points differential, a big step forward in their second year in the competition.
However with the season just a few weeks from coming to close, the time needed to outpace someone for a wildcard spot has already run out.
The Kings are another rung below that, with a 4-8 record for the year and -80 points across the year – not great numbers, but an impressive improvement on an uncompetitive year in 2016.
They are still likely to get the chop from the South African conference at the end of the season but at the moment could make the argument they deserve to stay, given they’re ahead of the Cheetahs and Bulls, and even the Force, Reds, Rebels and Sunwolves.
Jaguares
15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Matías Moroni, 13 Matías Orlando, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Martín Landajo (c), 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matías Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julián Montoya, 1 Lucas NogueraReplacements: 16 Roberto Tejerizo, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Ignacio Larrague, 20 Rodrigo Báez, 21 Gonzalo Bertanou, 22 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 23 Santiago Cordero
Kings
15 Malcolm Jaer, 14 Wandile Mjekevu, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Luzuko Vulindlu, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Lionel Cronje (c), 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Andisa Ntsila, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 4 Irne Herbst, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Michael Willemse, 1 Mzamo MajolaReplacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Schalk Ferreira, 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda, 20 Thembelani Bholi, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Masixole Banda, 23 Yaw Penxe
Join The Roar for live scores of the match at Estadio Jose Amalfitani early on Saturday morning, starting from 9am AEST.