Los Jaguares Head Coach Raúl Pérez has made six changes to his team to face the Chiefs in Buenos Aires on Saturday. The fixture is to mark the historic home debut of Argentina’s first ever professional team.
With Ramiro Herrera forced out through injury, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro has been elevated from the bench to make his first start for Los Jaguares. He will join captain Agustín Creevy and Santiago Santiago García Botta who both started in the round two fixture against the Sharks in Durban.
Tomás Lavanini returns from suspension to start in the second-row. He is to join his Rugby World Cup 2015 partner, Guido Petti in a return to the formation which started in the second-row against the Cheetahs in round one.
Behind them Juan Manuel Leguizamón is to make his Super Rugby debut, playing in place of Rodrigo Báez in the back-row. He will be joined by Leonardo Senatore and Pablo Matera in the run-on back-row. Matera has been named despite having initially have been ruled out of being fit for the fixture.
Martín Landajo and Nicolás Sanchez have been retained by Pérez as the starting halves. Also retained in the backs are Santiago Cordero and Emiliano Boffelli. They are to be the wingers this Saturday with Cordero moving into the position from fullback.
A new-look mid-field sees Juan Martín Hernández and Jerónimo de La Fuente starting as the centers. For Hernández the fixture is to be his first Super Rugby start and is to come some seven years after he played in South Africa for the Natal Sharks. Hernández was to play the 2010 Super Rugby season only to miss out via injury.
On the bench Santiago González Iglesias is to provide back-up to Sánchez andHernández. Matías Moroni will cover de La Fuente and both wingers while Felipe Ezcurra is to make his debut as cover for Landajo.
Also on debut will be Roberto Tejerizo who is to cover García Botta. The young Felipe Arregui is to be the other replacement prop while Julián Montoya stays on as back-up to Creevy. With Lavanini starting Alemanno returns to the bench while Báez misses out altogether with Facundo Isa again playing as the reserve back-rower.
Los Jaguares
1 Santiago García Botta, 2 Agustín Creevy (capt.), 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Pablo Matera, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Juan Martín Hernández, 13 Jerónimo De la Fuente, 14 Santiago Cordero, 15 Joaquín Tuculet
Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Roberto Tejerizo, 18 Felipe Arregui, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Matías Moroni