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A unfamiliar feeling surrounds Los Jaguares at present. On current positioning the Argentine side is in the Super Rugby play-off’s. At the heart of the success is a team that has gone from being reckless to being calculated, from Raúl Pérez to Mario Ledesma.
Back to Basics
Los Jaguares’ Super Rugby debut was a 34-33 victory in Bloemfontein. The Pérez coaching team and the players were praised for their brand of rugby. Risky offloads and passes were endless.
When Pérez had his team playing well they certainly impressed. Yet their record win over the Kings was forgotten based on losses against the Sunwolves, Western Force and even the Kings themselves. It ultimately came to an end in mid-2017 as Los Jaguares would fail in their prime objective as a sports team, winning matches.
Pérez’ approach was not unique. It was a part of the UAR’s green-lighted system. Championed by Daniel Hourcade, Los Jaguares were a team looking to build Los Pumas to make the national side stronger.
Sacrificed were traditional pillars of the Argentine game including the scrum, maul, a tight defensive arrangement and, above all else, patience. Ledesma’s work in 2018 has seen these areas all targeted and the team has benefited tremendously.
Getting the Job Done
The results do not lie. Four wins in Oceania from their tour has turned around the season. Yet before the tour Los Jaguares were perilously placed.
The wins over the Rebels in Melbourne, Brumbies in Canberra, Blues in Auckland and Chiefs in Rotorua account for four of six victories under Ledesma. It brings the team’s record in 2018 to six wins and five losses from eleven matches.
Prior to departing for Oceania Los Jaguares were a different team to that of the Pérez regime but the results were much the same. Ledesma’s side had been badly beaten in Buenos Aires by both the Hurricanes and Crusaders and was also beaten by the Reds in a dreadful performance from Los Jaguares.
Both the Hurricanes and Crusaders were classy in Buenos Aires. In Johannesburg a similarly impressive performance from the Lions saw Ledesma’s side beaten badly. The team would rebound at home against the Lions and would also impress against the Waratahs.
Under Pérez Los Jaguares won 4 matches in 2016 and 7 in 2017. They secured 6 and 5 bonus points respectively in these campaigns to finish with 22 and 33 competition points. Under Ledesma the team has 6 wins and 0 bonus points to currently have 24 points.
The Lions also have 6 wins but currently have 31 points based on bonus points. The policy implies bonus points as a Jaguares’ afterthought and this is sensible given the task of the coaching team.
In Oceania Los Jaguares found their identify. Getting there required removing links to Los Pumas. Pablo Matera as captain was important and now, unlike previously, Jaguares are not assured of their places in Los Pumas.
Indeed under Ledesma Pumas are not even assured of spots in Los Jaguares. Hourcade regulars Santiago González Iglesias, Martin Landajo, Juan Manuel Leguizamón. and Leonardo Senatore have been understudies.
The tour to Oceania featured consistency, a first in franchise history. Both the style of play and mental attitude brought-in by Ledesma deserve special mention.
Know How
While some consider the French Top 14 as dull the reality is that it is arguably the most challenging professional rugby competition. From 2001-2011 Ledesma played for Narbonne, Castres, and Clermont, winning the Top 14 title with the latter in 2010.
He played in losing finals in 2007, 2008, and 2009 against Stade Français, Toulouse, and Perpignan respectively. Winning is tough while losing is tougher as many clubs must fight to avoid relegation. Perpignan went from finalists in 2010 to being relegated in 2014.
Argentina XV Meltdown
Los Jaguares have two home matches before breaking for the June Internationals. They host the Bulls and Sharks over the next two weekends. Saturday’s game has seen the Argentina XV vs Uruguay XV match moved to Sunday.
The Argentina XV are coached by Felipe Contepomi. Like Ledesma, he had a documented career abroad and won titles.
The coaching of Contepomi is a style that can be associated with Hourcade rather than being uniquely his own. He is following the Hourcade system, unlike Ledesma.
Against Brazil the team had a 33-3 lead only to lose 36-33. There was a meltdown in the final quarter with observers noting that he used the bench too early.
The player management during the match was certainly concerning though there are other issues to be identified. Firstly the team was a mixture of academy players and potential Jaguares returning from injuries. They were thrust together and told how to play without any genuine preparation to focus on details.
Secondly, it was a reckless, not calculated performance. The meltdown itself was not a one-off. The team had been on course to win against the USA in 2016 and 2017 only to be caught for late draws on both occasions. Then last month the Argentina XV held a 38-7 lead over the Pumitas yet the u20’s side fought back to lose 38-31.
