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Tomás Lezana has been named Jaguares captain. The flanker is to be the third player to lead the team in 2018, following Pablo Matera and Joaquín Tuculet.
Injury means Pablo Matera is likely out for the remainder of the Super Rugby season. The team captain was injured playing against the Brumbies in Canberra last month. He will play no part in Argentina’s June Internationals against Scotland and Wales.
Without Matera Joaquín Tuculet captained Los Jaguares against the Blues and Chiefs in New Zealand. He was injured in the second of these matches. Suffering a knee injury he has been ruled out for the remainder of the year. A return is likely for the 2019 Super Rugby season.
Mario Ledesma has gone against the pattern of former coach Raúl Pérez. Under Pérez Agustín Creevy was Jaguares captain with Martín Landajo being his understudy. It was a mirror set-up to that used by Daniel Hourcade for Los Pumas with Landajo and Tomás Cubelli having been deputies when required for Creevy.
In establishing a clear separation between the two sides Ledesma has gone for players firmly established in the system but names who are not at the top of the Hourcade leadership list. The next in line behind Lezana is not Creevy, Landajo or Cubelli but, rather, Nicolás Sánchez.
Los Jaguares have a bye this coming weekend. They are to then have home matches on May 19 and May 25 against the Bulls and Sharks before breaking for the June Internationals.
