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La Pantera, Manuel Montero has been named for his Super Rugby debut this weekend against the Blues in Auckland. The Argentine winger is to make his return from a serious injury suffered during preparation for last year’s Rugby Championship.
Los Jaguares will play their first of three matches in as many weeks in New Zealand, taking on the inaugural champions. The Blues are three-time winners, conquering Super Rugby in the 1996, 1997 and 2003 seasons.
The task awaiting the Argentine Super Rugby side is to be extremely demanding. Head Coach Raúl Pérez has made seven changes from that which faced the Stormers last Saturday in Buenos Aires. In addition to Montero (pictured) there are to be four changes to the forwards and two others in the backs.
Montero is to be joined in the starting back-three by Ramiro Moyano who, like La Pantera, will be playing his first Super Rugby match. Moyano joined the squad after Santiago Cordero was forced out following a car accident. This occurred following both Lucas González Amorosino and Joaquín Tuculet being rested for the opening two matches in New Zealand.
The Pumas mid-field combination which faced Tonga in the World Cup will start in Auckland. They are to do so outside of a halves combination of stand-in captain Martín Landajo and Santiago González Iglesias, the latter playing fly half.
In the pack there are to be first starts for two front-rowers – Roberto Tejerizo and Julián Montoya. Tejerizo comes in for Santiago García Botta who drops to the bench and Montoya replaces Agustín Creevy who is being rested in Buenos Aires.
Tejerizo and Montoya are to be joined by Ramiro Herrera who is back from an ankle injury to play tighthead prop. They are to be well supported by the first choice Pumas second-row combination of Guido Petti and Tomás Lavanini starting behind them.
Completing the run-on side is a changed back-row combination. Rodrigo Báez comes back to start ahead of Pablo Matera with Leonardo Senatore and Tomás Lezana joining him in a new-look trio.
Regulars Matera and Nicolás Sánchez are both to feature as replacements while second-rower Juan Cruz Guillemain and hooker Facundo Bosch are both set to make their Super Rugby debuts from the bench.
Los Jaguares
1 Roberto Tejerizo, 2 Julián Montoya, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Tomás Lezana, 7 Rodrigo Báez, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Santiago González Iglesias, 11 Manuel Montero, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 15 Ramiro Moyano.
Replacements: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Juan Cruz Guillemain, 20 Pablo Matera, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Nicolás Sánchez, 23 Joaquín Paz
