Jaguares Fall to Bulls in Super Rugby Warm-Up Match

Los Jaguares Fell to the Bulls in a Super Rugby warm-up match. Played this afternoon in Pretoria, South Africa the Argentine franchise lost 21-12, being outscored by three tries to two.

The performance was the first outside of Argentina under Mario Ledesma. In the prior outing Los Jaguares were pushed by the Argentina XV before coming through in the end. With Super Rugby starting next weekend the team is not settled nor playing at the level required.

The Bulls scored the game’s first three tries. This took the South Africans into a commanding 21-0 lead before Los Jaguares would open their account. The first try came from a Jaguares error. A loose pass was picked off by the Bulls and would result in Andell Loubser diving over in the left corner. Manie Libbok set-up Loubser with a cross-kick and then converted the try.

Loubser’s 18th minute score would be quickly followed by the Bulls scoring their second. Crossing in the same area was flanker Marco van Staden. He did so following an attacking line-out which saw a rolling maul and a simple score. Libbok made it a 14-0 scoreline with the conversion after 22 minutes.

The next points would not come until the second half. In the 47th minute replacement forward Warrick Gelant scored. His try was converted by fellow replacement Handre Pollard. The Bulls were leading by 21 points but would not score further points in the match.

Los Jaguares scored their opening points in the 57th minute. Crossing was replacement hooker Julián Montoya, doing so from an attacking maul. The simple conversion attempt from Joaquín Díaz Bonilla was charged down, keeping it to a five point score from the Argentine team.

Los Jaguares would play the better rugby in the final quarter. They would score again, this time with Javier Ortega Desio touching down. The try came from a strong run from Matías Orlando in the mid-field. Quick recycling then put Juan Manuel Leguizamón though a gap. In years gone by he would have been expected to have scored. Instead Ortega Desio got the try after recycled play.

Los Jaguares open their Super Rugby season next Saturday. They do so against the Stormers in Cape Town on February 17. The Bulls begin their campaign on February 24 at home against the Hurricanes.

SCORING

BULLS 21
Tries – Loubser, van Staden, Gelant
Cons – Libbok (2), Pollard

JAGUARES 12
Tries – Montoya, Ortega Desio
Cons – Hernández

TEAMS

BULLS
15 Francois Brummer, 14 Andell Loubser, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 JT Jackson, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Jano Venter, 7 Themba Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager (capt.), 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Frans van Wyk, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Trevor Nyakane

Replacements: 16 Warrick Gelant, 17 Divan Rossouw, 18 Jesse Kriel, 19 Burger Odendaal, 20 Johnny Kotze, 21 Handre Pollard, 22 Andre Warner, 23 Hanro Liebenberg, 24 Jason Jenkins, 25 Roelof Smit, 26 RG Snyman, 27 Conraad van Vuuren, 28 Jaco Visagie, 29 Pierre Schoeman, 30 Jan-Henning Campher, 31 Matthys Basson, 32 Lizo Gqoboka, 33 Shaun Adendorff, 34 Theo Maree

JAGUARES
15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Tomás Lezana, 7 Javier Ortega Desio, 6 Pablo Matera (capt.), 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Matías Alemanno, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustín Creevy, 1 Felipe Arregui

Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Nicolás Leiva, 18 Javier Díaz, 19 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 20 Guido Petti, 21 Marcos Kremer, 22 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 23 Leonardo Senatore, 24 Martín Landajo, 25 Juan Martín Hernández, 26 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 27 Santiago González Iglesias, 28 Matías Orlando, 29 Sebastián Cancelliere