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Following a bye round Los Jaguares return to action in Super Rugby on Saturday. They are to play their first of four tour matches in Oceania, taking on the Melbourne Rebels.
Los Jaguares were to depart Argentina on Sunday. Fog problems meant they were delayed and would even end up training on Tuesday in Santiago. Their arrival in Melbourne did not take place until Thursday (local time) and was on the back of connecting flights in Auckland and Sydney.
Less than ideal preparation for Los Jaguares will be no excuse come Saturday. Their match in Melbourne is their first away game since round two in Johannesburg. Their five subsequent matches were all in Buenos Aires.
Meanwhile the Melbourne Rebels have been Australia’s best Super Rugby franchise so far in 2018. In looking to topple Los Jaguares they have gone for five changes from last round.
Brothers Dane and Ross Haylett-Petty are both back, starting at fullback and flanker respectively. Ross Haylett-Perry is to be joined in the back-row by Richard Hardwick who is another change from last week.
The two remaining alterations are also in the forwards. In the front-row Sam Talakai has been named at Tight Head while Englishman Geoff Parling slots in to lock the scrum. Parling joins Wallaby Adam Coleman and team captain in a formidable second-row.
Mario Ledesma has also made changes for the match. This includes a first start of 2018 for hooker Julián Montoya, scrum-half Martín Landajo, and winger Sebastián Cancelliere. For Cancelliere it is a debut appearance in the run-on team.
Montoya replacers former captain Agustín Creevy at hooker. It is his first start since July 2017 when he did so in the poor showing against the Southern Kings which saw Los Jaguares losing 31-30 at home.
There is an opportunity in the second-row for Guido Petti. Despite having been among Los Jaguares’ leading forwards in 2017 he has been a replacement this season with Tomás Lavanini and Matías Alemanno being the starting combination. Petti starts with Alemanno on the bench in Melbourne.
In the backs Martín Landajo comes in for Gonzalo Bertranou. The form of Bertranou has seen many considering him to be above Landajo with an eye to the June Internationals. Landajo reforms his long-term halves partnership with Nicolás Sánchez.
In the back-three an entirely changed formation from that which faced the Crusaders will take on the Rebels. Emiliano Boffelli moves from the left wing to fullback, taking over from Joaquín Tuculet. The left wing spot goes to Cancelliere.
Also starting is Ramiro Moyano. The Tucumán flier is back into the team to play on the left wing. Missing out is Bautista Delguy while Tuculet will feature as a replacement.
There has been just one prior match between the Melbourne Rebels and Los Jaguares. It was the final match of the 2017 season with Los Jaguars winning 32-29 in Melbourne. On that occasion Santiago Cordero scored a double while Petti and Bertranou each scored a try.
Form so far in 2018 sees the Rebels entering the game as favorites. Los Jaguares have had a rollercoaster year with their lack of consistency being well documented. The travel complications do not help Los Jaguares’ chances. The Melbourne Rebels enter the match well placed to come out as the winners.
MELBOURNE REBELS
15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Jack Maddocks, 13 Tom English, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Will Genia, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Richard Hardwick, 6 Ross Haylett-Petty, 5 Adam Coleman (capt.), 4 Geoff Parling, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Tetera Faulkner
Replacements: 16 Jordan Uelese, 17 Ben Daley, 18 Jermaine Ainsley, 19 Matt Philip, 20 Colby Fainga’a, 21 Lopeti Timani, 22 Michael Ruru, 23 Sefa Naivalu
JAGUARES
15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Ramiro Moyano, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 11 Sebastian Cancelliere, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (capt.), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta
Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Javier Manuel Diaz, 18 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Bautista Ezcurra, 23 Joaquin Tuculet
Date: Saturday April 14
Venue: AAMI Park
Kick-off: 3:15pm (local), 2:15am (Argentina)
Referee: Nicholas Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: William Houston (Australia), Graham Cooper (Australia)
TMO: Damien Mitchelmore (Australia)
