Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The 2018 Super Rugby season continues this weekend. In Buenos Aires Los Jaguares will be looking for a strong turnout for their home fixture against the Bulls.
Following a Bye last weekend a fresh Los Jaguares side are looking to win their fifth straight match. Their last match saw Mario Ledesma’s men defeating the Chiefs in Rotorua.
Of the players who started against the Chiefs 11 will also start in the same positions against the Bulls. Of these just one change comes in the pack. It sees former captain Agustín Creevy returning at hooker in place of Julián Montoya.
The back-three is entirely changed from Rotorua. With injuries to Ramiro Moyano and Joaquín Tuculet Ledesma has moved Emiliano Boffelli from the left wing to fullback and recalled Bautista Delguy for Moyano and Sebastian Cancelliere starts on the left wing.
Ledesma has named Tomás Lezana as his captain. It follows the loss of both Tuculet and Pablo Matera to injury. Lezana will captain the side in the 6 shirt, the same one worn by Matera throughout the season until his injury against the Brumbies.
The Bulls are coached by former USA Head Coach John Mitchell. Having successfully seen the Eagles qualify for RWC 2019 the former All Black took up a new post in Pretoria.
Mitchell has handed a debut start at fly half to Manie Libbok. With it South Africa’s leading pivot, Handré Pollard, will play the match at inside center. Pollard has also been chosen to captain the Bulls, doing so in the absence of Burger Odendaal.
Also out through injury is giant Lood de Jager. His spot in the second-row goers to Jason Jenkins who joins Rudolph Snyman in the engine room. It is to be the first time the players start together this season.
Also starting in the pack is Thembelani Bholi. He will join Roelof Smit and Marco van Stade in the back-row. Up front Springboks prop Trevor Nyakane will start at loosehead, replacing Lizo Gqoboka.
There are notable match-up’s to look forward to. The hooker battle between Creevy and Adriaan Strauss has been notable at test level in the past. Matías Orlando and Jesse Kriel are to transfer their Pumas vs Springboks 13 rivalry into Super Rugby while an interesting battle awaits between Gonzalo Bertranou and Ivan van Zyl at scrum-half.
Saturday marks the third time in which Los Jaguares and the Bulls have met in Super Rugby. The teams have won once each with Los Jaguares winning 29-11 in Buenos Aires in 2016 and the Bulls winning 26-13 in Pretoria in 2017.
The hot run of form shown by Los Jaguares combined with a week off and home advantage has Los Jaguares favored to win. Yet the Bulls are not a side to be treated lightly. They have beaten the Hurricanes, Stormers, Sharks and Rebels this season.
JAGUARES
15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matías Orlando, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 11 Sebastián Cancelliere, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Tomás Lezana (capt.), 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustín Creevy, 1 Santiago García Botta
Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Javier Díaz, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Bautista Ezcurra, 23 Juan Cruz Mallía
BULLS
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Handre Pollard (capt.), 11 John-Ben Kotze, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Rudolph Snyman, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Nqobisizwe Mxoli, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Hendre Stassen, 20 Nicholas de Jager, 21 Andre Warner, 22 John Jackson, 23 Divan Rossouw
Date: Saturday, May 19
Kick-off: 5:50pm (Argentina)
Venue: Estadio José Amalfitani, Buenos Aires
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistant Referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand), Pablo Deluca (Argentina)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)
