Team of the Week

We’re into the slow season in terms of having teams to choose from and this week saw the end of the Super Rugby season for the Jaguares which means there’s even one less. A Canadian Rugby Championship fixture between the BC Bears and Prairie Wolf Pack might normally have provided us with a few options between the two, but a completely one-sided result means there was only one team with players in contention.

1 – Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Jaguares) A strong outing for the versatile prop, who has again been pressed into action on the loosehead side with experienced front rankers hard to come by in Argentine rugby the moment. Carried well and was strong in the set piece. Will he move back to tighthead now that Ramiro Herrera is off to France?

2 – Agustín Creevy (Jaguares) Somehow manages to find the energy after a brutal six months. It’s a miracle his body has held up. Perfect at the lineout and his usual output around the park against the Rebels. Will be relishing an ice bath and a deck chair before firing it up again for the Rugby Championship.

3 – Jake Ilnicki (BC Bears) Perhaps it wasn’t a fair fight given that Ilnicki has spent the season as a full-time professional and his opposition was entirely amateur, and the contest at the scrum certainly reflected that. His complete dominance suggests that a new contract somewhere must be on the way.

4 – Guido Petti (Jaguares) Showed off his mobility with an excellent try in support of Nicolás Sánchez, a score created by Petti’s defensive pressure on Toby Smith. Put in a big shift around the pitch making numerous tackles and a major presence at the lineout.

5 – Benjamín Macome (Jaguares) It’s an undersized second row this week and at this spot it’s a choice between Macome and BC’s try-scorer Connor Weyell. The Argentine gets the nod for probably his best performance in Super Rugby to date, piling up the hard yards and putting his body on the line in defense.

6 – Pablo Matera (Jaguares) Another whose ability to stay fully attached is commendable given the ferocious battering he gives out game after game. Just edged Macome as the team’s most frequent ball carrier in the match, an area of his game that has expanded significantly this season after the departure of Facundo Isa.

7 – Rodrigo Báez (Jaguares) Remains an underrated player who contributes to virtually every department, particularly continuity either as a first arriving player or a link man. Carries well, makes his tackles, and is a quality lineout option at the tail.

8 – Taitusi Vikilani (BC Bears) Just 20 years old, the bruising Burnaby lad was tasked with getting over the gainline at Thunderbird Stadium and he achieved that and then some. Scored a try from close range but it was his tackle-busting elsewhere that caught the eye. One to watch in the coming weeks.

9 – Phil Mack (BC Bears) Made it look easy as he slipped through the opposition and created so many scoring opportunities for his teammates. Quick thinking also caught the Wolf Pack unawares with a sneaky grubber in behind for Brock Staller to slide onto. Will be singled out as a danger man when the CRC heads to Calgary next month.

10 – Nicolás Sánchez (Jaguares) Just another day at the park for one of the world’s best. Perfect with the boot before being granted an early rest and replaced by Juan Martín Hernández for the final quarter. Like Creevy, one who needs to be managed carefully approaching the nine test matches still to be played.

11 – Emiliano Boffelli (Jaguares) A terrific match for one of the form players in Argentine rugby, and only a brilliant James Lowe effort kept Boffelli out of the official Super Rugby Team of the Week. Seems to surprise opponents with his long strides masking his pace. Arguably better than his teammate Santiago Cordero but didn’t get the glory on the scoreboard.

12 – George Barton (BC Bears) Used at outside center, where he has been playing for the Canada u20s, but surely his spot moving forward is on the inside where he plays for Clermont’s academy side. Like Vikilani already a fearsome figure and still a couple months shy of his 20th birthday. Smashed his way through the line to open space for the outside backs.

13 – Brock Staller (BC Bears) Came on as a wing replacement but we had to include Boffelli so the hat-trick hero moves into the midfield to accommodate the Argentine flyer. It was a good day for the UBC product who was discarded from the Canadian side after a difficult Americas Rugby Championship. His versatility is great for squads but one wonders if he might need to concentrate on one position to get back in test contention.

14 – Santiago Cordero (Jaguares) Two tries for the little speedster, both meat and drink for a player of his caliber. Remains a nightmare in one-on-one situations with his stepping off either foot often leaving defenders dumbfounded. In a real battle for his Pumas spot with Ramiro Moyano in top form and that’s not to mention the likes of Manuel Montero and Matías Moroni.

15 – Joaquín Tuculet (Jaguares) Aaron McLelland certainly impressed with his silky running, alas the Bears fullback is not eligible for Canada and won’t be for some time so will have to cede the spot to the Argentine instead. It’s not a major concession selection-wise. Tuculet had a strong match, with his own counter-attacking skills all but cancelling out Melbourne’s tactical kicking.