Jaguares roll out the big guns for the Kings

Los Jaguars Head Coach Raúl Pérez has rolled out the big guns for the Kings. The Argentine Super Rugby franchise will face the Port Elizabeth-based side on Saturday evening in Buenos Aires.

Pérez has named a star-studded side which is to be led by regular captain Agustín Creevy. The Pumas hooker and leader is one of only three players retained from last Saturday’s loss against the Sunwolves in Tokyo, Japan. The two others retained are Juan Martín Hernández and Matías Alemanno.

Creevy is to be joined in the front-row by Santiago García Botta and Ramiro Herrera while Alemanno will be partnered by the rested Tomás Lavanini in the second-row. Lavanini replaces Guido Petti who drops to the bench.

It is all change in the back-row with veteran Leonardo Senatore returning to start at number 8. Back from injury to play on the side of the scrum is Tomás Lezana while Javier Ortega Desio is back from Sevens duty with Los Pumas 7’s. Pablo Matera and Juan Manuel Leguizamón both miss out while Facundo Isa drops to the bench.

Vice-captain Martín Landajo returns to scrum half and will, for the first time, form a 9-10-12 partnership with Nicolás Sánchez and Hernández. The trio is equal to that used in the victorious Semi Final effort against Ireland in Cardiff, Wales last October.

Having started over the past two rounds Gonzalo Bertranou drops to the bench. He will be joined by Lucas González Amorosino and Jerónimo De la Fuente as the remaining replacements backs.

De la Fuente has made way for Matías Moroni to return, a move that will, in effect, give Los Jaguares a third winger. The back-three named by Pérez promises to offer deadly firepower. If the team can cut out their handling errors then the team could have a night to remember.

Moroni will play outside center with the fit-again  Manuel Montero playing left wing and his fellow-Los Pumas 7’s call-up, Santiago Cordero, also starting. Emiliano Boffelli has been named at fullback, ahead of González Amorosino and Ramiro Moyano while Joaquín Tuculet is unavailable following his concussion in Tokyo.

LOS JAGUARES
1 Santiago García Botta, 2 Agustín Creevy (capt.), 3 Ramiro Herrera, 4 Matías Alemanno, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Tomás Lezana, 7 Javier Ortega Desio, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Nicolás Sanchez, 11 Manuel Montero, 12 Juan Martín Hernández, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Santiago Cordero, 15 Emiliano Boffelli

Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Jerónimo De la Fuente, 23 Lucas González Amorosino