Cheetahs, Jaguares Set for Super Rugby Opener

After years of waiting for an opportunity of playing professional rugby Argentina is now just days away from realizing the dream. The first assignment is to be an away fixture in the sport’s version of the NBA, Super Rugby. Los Jaguares will take-on the Cheetahs on Friday at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.

Leading the Argentine side will be Los Pumas captain Agustín Creevy. He will be joined by World Cup vice-captain Martín Landajo in the standing line-up while a host of players from the World Cup Quarter Final win over Ireland are also to start.

Up-front Creevy will be joined by Lucas Noguera Paz and Ramiro Herrera in the front-row. Both played in the Cardiff match as did Guido Petti and Tomás Lavanini who are to be the staring second-row combination. Pablo Matera and Leonardo Senatore join them in the run-on side with Rodrigo Báez being the only forward starting who missed the World Cup.

Outside Landajo will be the top point scorer from Rugby World Cup 2015, Nicolás Sánchez. He will direct traffic with the support of last weekend’s hat-trick scorer, Jerónimo de La Fuente. Joining the Rosario mid-fielder in the centers will be Matías Moroni.

Outside wide Santiago Cordero and Joaquín Tuculet are two further players from the Cardiff fixtures to have been named in the run-on team. The final component is to be 21 year old Emiliano Boffelli who is joins Báez as the second player not involved in the World Cup who will start in Bloemfontein.

Six further World Cup players have been named on the bench. Julián Montoya will cover for Creevy, Santiago García Botta and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro are the specialist replacement props while Matías Alemanno and Facundo Isa cover the second-row and back-row respectively. Utility back Santiago González Iglesias will cover fly half and both centers while scrum half Gonzalo Bertranou and wing Matías Orlando are the additional back replacements. Neither featured in the World Cup.

With center Francois Venter as captain and star second-rower Lodewyk de Jager leading the pack the Bloemfontein based side have some genuine quality. The halves pairing of Shaun Venter and Fred Zeilinga will ask questions of Los Jaguares’ defense.

Kick-off is scheduled for 2pm Argentine time.

Cheetahs
1 Charles Marias, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 3 Maks van Dyk, 4 Carl Wegner, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 6 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 8 Niell Jordaan, 9 Shaun Venter, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 11 Raymond Rhule, 12 William Small-Smith, 13 Francois Venter (capt.), 14 Sergeal Petersen, 15 Clayton Blommetjies

16 Jacques du Toit, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 Reniel Hugo, 20 Henco Venter, 21 Paul Schoeman, 22 Tian Meyer, 23 Niel Marais

Jaguares
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Agustín Creevy (capt.), 3 Ramiro Herrera, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Rodrigo Báez, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Jerónimo de La fuente, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Santiago Cordero, 15 Joaquín Tuculet

Replacements
16 Julián Montoya, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Matías Orlando