Experimental Jaguares Knock-Over Uruguay in Warm-Up Fixture

An experimental Jaguares outfit knocked-over Uruguay today. Argentina’s Super Rugby ran out 61-7 winners after holding a 35-0 half time lead. The warm-up fixture was the first of two for the Argentine Super Rugby side this week.

Los Jaguares played with two sides – a different lineup for each half. Only Matías Moroni played both both Argentine teams. He did so in different positions – one half at center and the other on the wing.

Of the players all but one was Argentine. The foreigner was Nicolás Freitas of Uruguay. The Carrasco Polo product has today signed a one-year contract with Los Jaguares. This makes him Uruguay’s first Super Rugby player.

Freitas made his debut on the left wing. He paladee wing for Uruguay in the 2016 South American Cup. In November, though, he played in his natural position of center. Los Jaguares are interested in the player primarily as a winger.

The starting outside center in the opening half was Matías Moroni. With him being one of Argentina’s most encouraging players in 2016 he began 2017 strongly by scoring a double. Hooker Julián Montoya also crossed for two tries.

The fixture was very much match practice. Head Coach Raúl Pérez gave everyone an opportunity but this included fielding players out of position. For instance Benjamín Macome played second-row and Roberto Tejerizo got game time at hooker.

Playing for the first time was Joaquín Díaz Bonilla. He played fly half with Santiago González Iglesias coming on after the interval. With Juan Martín Hernández currently unavailable it gives Pérez an important option. Another is Bautista Ezcurra who performed well at inside center.

Pérez has three scrum halves on his 44-man roster. Having played in every test match under Daniel Hourcade Martín Landajo is the senior option. The snipping scrum-half fell victim to injury today, breaking his leg. It leaves Pérez with Gonzalo Bertranou and Felipe Ezcurra as his two scrum half options.

Los Jaguares will continue their training throughout the week. They will play their second warm-up match on Friday, taking on the Argentina XV.

SCORERS
Jaguares
Try: Montoya (2), Moroni (2), Leguizamón, Macome, Ezcurra, Penalty Try, González Iglesias
Conversion: Díaz Bonilla (5), González Iglesias (3)

Uruguay
Try: Arata
Conversion: Albanel

Los Jaguares (first half)
1 Santiago García Botta, 2 Julián Montoya, 3 Facundo Gigena, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Ignacio Larrague, 6 Rodrigo Báez, 7 Tomás Lezana, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Jerónimo de La Fuente, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Matías Orlando, 15 Ramiro Moyano

Los Jaguares (second half)
1 Lucas Noguera Paz, 2 Roberto Tejerizo, 3 Enrique Pieretto, 4 Benjamín Macome, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Pablo Matera, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 10 Santiago González Iglesias, 11 Santiago Cordero, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 13 Gabriel Ascarete, 14 Matías Moroni, 15 Joaquín Tuculet

Uruguay
15 Rodrigo Silva, 14 Leandro Leivas, 13 Juan Manuel Cat, 12 Juan De Freitas, 11 Andrés Rocco, 10 Germán Albanell, 9 Guillermo Lijtenstein, 8 Alejandro Nieto (capt.), 7 Rodolfo Garese 6 Gonzalo Soto, 5 Diego Ayala, 4 Ignacio Dotti, 3 Juan Echeverría, 2 Facundo Gattas, 1 Mateo Sanguinetti