Jaguares Roster Changes for Crusaders and Sunwolves

Los Jaguares Head Coach Raúl Pérez has opted to rotate a number of his roster for the two upcoming away Super Rugby matches. The Argentine franchise will take on the Crusaders in Christchurch, New Zealand and the Sunwolves in Tokyo, Japan over consecutive weekends.

For Pérez rotation was always the plan. Injuries, though, have forced alterations. This saw Juan Manuel Leguizamón joining os Jaguares in Wellington a week ahead of schedule as Tomás Lezana was forced to fly home with a hamstring injury.

For the Crusaders and Sunwolves Pérez has flown over nine additional players from Argentina. The number was to be bigger, though, only for Santiago Cordero’s recent car accident to have prolonged his return.

The loss of Cordero has greatly complicated Los Jaguares’ plans. Combined with the injury to Manuel Montero, Pérez has lost his top two wingers. Also missing are leading props Lucas Noguera Paz and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro of whom the former is out with a long term injury. Tetaz Chaparro is fit again though another, Roberto Tejerizo is now injured, following Saturday morning’s match in Wellington.

Injuries to Lezana and Tejerizo have seen Pérez retaining Pablo Matera and Santiago García for the two upcoming matches. Both had been planned to return home together with those being rotated out. Instead those returning home to be rested are: Ramiro Herrera, Martín Landajo, Tomás Lavanini, Manuel Montero, Julián Montoya, Matías Moroni, Nicolás Sánchez, Leonardo Senatore and Roberto Tejerizo.

While the team is yet to deliver sufficient winning results the policy show that the UAR is looking to get the most out of the matches by playing as many as possible. In effect Los Jaguares is a two-team franchise.

Wholesale changes are expected for the Crusaders with Agustín Creevy set to return as captain in a new-look front-row. Similarly Gonzalo Bertranou and Juan Martín Hernández are to be the probable starting halves and a new center pairing, second-row, number eight, wing and fullback.

Possible Jaguares XV vs Crusaders
1 Santiago García Botta, 2 Agustín Creevy (capt.), 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 8 Facundo Isa, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Juan Martín Hernández, 11 Lucas González Amorosino, 12 Joaquín Paz, 13 Jerónimo de La Fuente, 14 Emiliano Boffelli, 15 Joaquín Tuculet