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The 2018 Super Rugby season continues this weekend. In a Friday fixture the Chiefs are at home to Los Jaguares in Rotorua. The Chiefs have been among the leading sides this season while Los Jaguares are currently on a three match winning-streak. Victories on the road have the Argentine side shooting up the standings.
For the match Chiefs Head Coach Colin Cooper has gone for four changes. Not included in the changes is Tyler Ardron. The Canadian will start in the second-row. Having been a standout this season, the question to have arisen is whether there are additional players of his standard to join Super Rugby from North America?
Cooper’s side are coming off a bye last weekend. Their previous match was against the Reds in Brisbane two weeks ago. In that match Ardron joined All Black Brodie Retallick in the engine room. However against Los Jaguares the Canadian will lock the scrum with Michael Allardice.
Veteran Liam Messam starts at no 8 in the remaining alteration to the pack. He will join Sam Cane and either Lachlan Boshier or Luke Jacobson in the back-row. Boshier will start if fit, the Chiefs are leaving that decision until the last minute possible. Meanwhile should Jacobson start then Jesse Parete will enter the bench.
In the backs Cooper has recalled Toni Pulu to start. He will play wing with Alex Nankivell starting the match in the mid-field. Missing out is Johnny Faauli who, like Retallick, is being rested ahead of the Chiefs’ tour to South Africa.
Mario Ledesma has also gone for changes, five of them in total. They begin up-front with Agustín Creevy dropping to the bench. The strategic move has been made with a view to not overplaying the Pumas captain. In his place Julián Montoya starts at hooker.
Matías Alemanno makes way for Tomás Lavanini in the second-row. This sees Lavanini and Guido Petti playing reunited. Behind them will be Javier Ortega at no 8. He moves from flanker while Tomás Lezana and Marcos Kremer start as the flankers.
Martín Landajo drops back to the bench with Gonzalo Bertranou returning. Despite Landajo having been Daniel Hourcade’s leading scrum-half from 2013-2017 Bertranou is the player whom Ledesma clearly prefers wearing the Jaguares’ 9 shirt.
Outwide Ramiro Moyano comes straight back from injury to start, replacing Bautista Delguy. The latter drops out of the 23 altogether with Juan Cruz Mallía set to make his Super Rugby debut from the bench instead. Also among the replacements is Santiago Medrano, another player who will debut would he receive game time.
The Chiefs and Jaguares have met once before. Their prior match was in 2016 with the Chiefs coming from behind to seal a late 30-26 victory in Buenos Aires.
With Los Jaguares having won three matches they are gaining notoriety. Wins in Melbourne, Canberra and Auckland have the team now second in the South African conference. Suggesting they are a tougher prospect for the Chiefs than they were prior to the tour goes without saying.
Gaining a win in Rotorua is certainly possible for the Argentine side, doing so though will require an outstanding performance. The Chiefs are among the top sides in Super Rugby and are rested. They enter the match as favorites.
CHIEFS
15 Charlie Ngatai (co-capt.), 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Solomon Alaimalo, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 8 Liam Messam, 7 Sam Cane (co-capt.), 6 Lachlan Boshier or Luke Jacobson, 5 Tyler Ardron, 4 Michael Allardice, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Liam Polwart, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Sam Prattley, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Luke Jacobson/Jesse Parete, 20 Pita Gus Sowakula, 21 Brad Weber, 22 Marty McKenzie, 23 Levi Aumua
JAGUARES
15 Joaquín Tuculet (capt.), 14 Ramiro Moyano, 13 Matías Orlando, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Tomás Lezana, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julián Montoya, 1 Santiago Garícaí Botta
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, Javier Díaz, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Juan Cruz Mallía
Date: Friday May 04
Venue: Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
Kick-off: 7:35pm local (4:35am Argentina)
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand) and Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Shane McDermott (New Zealand)
