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Jaguares coach Mario Ledesma has named a 29-strong traveling squad for their three-match tour of South Africa that begins this week. Los Jaguares will travel to Pretoria to play the Bulls in a preseason fixture on Saturday. Their 2018 Super Rugby campaign officially begins against the Stormers at Newlands on February 17 followed by the Lions at Ellis Park on February 24.
Newly-appointed captain Pablo Matera was on hand for the announcement which sees the inclusion of five players who are uncapped in Super Rugby, three of them props. Nicolás Leiva and Juan Pablo Zeiss will cover tighthead while loosehead specialist Javier Díaz is the latest to join the squad, called up after appearing as a replacement for the Argentina XV during their Americas Rugby Championship defeat to the USA in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Díaz is a surprise inclusion after Nicolás Solveyra had been added to the training group just a week ago to cover for injuries to uncapped Franco Brarda and first choice loosehead Santiago García Botta. Felipe Arregui and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro are included despite also being monitored and are the only previously capped props available. Tetaz Chaparro covered loosehead in 2017 but is set to return to his preferred tighthead position with Enrique Pieretto set to miss the entire campaign with a knee injury and Ramiro Herrera now playing in France.
Other new caps are outside backs Sebastián Cancelliere and Bautista Delguy. The latter was originally named as an invitational player but now finds himself part of the senior group following injuries to Jerónimo de la Fuente and Matías Moroni, forcing utility back Bautista Ezcurra to cover the midfield. Cancelliere will also act as third-string scrumhalf with Felipe Ezcurra not among the traveling group.
de la Fuente’s injury means that Pumas incumbent Santiago González Iglesias is favorite to continue as first choice at inside centre with Juan Martín Hernández also covering the inside backs. Ezcurra is also an option having started in the No 12 jersey in the warm-up match against the Argentina XV last weekend.
Pumas captain Agustín Creevy is fit to travel after sitting out the game in Buenos Aires but there is no sign of Benjamin Macome or Santiago Álvarez on the roster, both of whom took part in the exhibition match. Los Jaguares are to depart Argentina for South Africa on Tuesday.
FORWARDS
Felipe Arregui, Javier Díaz, Nicolás Leiva, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Juan Pablo Zeiss, Agustín Creevy, Julián Montoya, Matías Alemanno, Tomás Lavanini, Guido Petti, Marcos Kremer, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, Tomás Lezana, Pablo Matera (capt.), Javier Ortega Desio, Leonardo Senatore
BACKS
Gonzalo Bertranou, Martín Landajo, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Juan Martín Hernández, Nicolás Sánchez, Bautista Ezcurra, Santiago González Iglesias, Matías Orlando, Emiliano Boffelli, Sebastián Cancelliere, Bautista Delguy, Ramiro Moyano, Joaquín Tuculet
