Super Rugby Preview – Jaguares vs Blues

Round three of Super Rugby will take place this coming weekend. Los Jaguares will again have home advantage but this time it will be against a New Zealand franchise. They will take-on the Blues, the team to have won the first and second editions of the professional competition in 1996, and 1997.

Los Jaguares have retained the same pack of forwards from last weekend. Changes come in the backs with captain Jerónimo de la Fuente sidelined through injury. Taking his spot will be Matías Orlando who moves from outside center and will captain the side for the first time.

Orlando has been given the nod ahead of former captains Agustín Creevy, and Pablo Matera, both of whom start against the Blues. Orlando’s partner in the mid-field will be Matías Moroni, his usual rival for the 13 shirt for both Los Jaguares and Los Pumas. The final change is at the back with Juan Cruz Mallía named ahead of Joaquín Tuculet.

The Blues are coached by former All Black Leon MacDonald. He was a multi-time champion as a player for the Crusaders. His sees changes from last week. They include Alex Hodgman named at loose head prop; Augustine Pulu at scrum-half, Tanielu Tele’a on the wing and Ma’a Nonu at inside center.

Nonu and MacDonald were teammates at RWC 2003 for New Zealand. His start against Los Jaguares follows his return from Toulon and he will take the place of Sonny Bill Williams who started last week.

This Saturday’s match-up will be just the third fixture between the franchises. Their first match was played in 2016, also in Auckland. The Blues won 24-16 in a match in which Gonzalo Bertranou scored Los Jaguares’ only try. The second match was also in New Zealand, this time Los Jaguares were 20-13 winners marking their first win in New Zealand.

Round two’s home win over the Bulls has Los Jaguares well positioned heading forward. The team has been able to recover and train in Buenos Aires while the Blues have flown over the Pacific Ocean and Andes mountains. Form and preparation should give Los Jaguares the edge with a win by 10 points expected.

 

TEAMS

JAGUARES
15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Matías Orlando (capt.), 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Agustín Creevy, 1 Mayco Vivas

Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Joaquín Tuculet

AUCKLAND BLUES
15 Melani Nanai, 14 Tanielu Tele’a, 13 TJ Faiane, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Otere Black, 9 Augustine Pulu, 8 Akira Ioane, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Tom Robinson, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (capt.), 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Alex Hodgman

Replacements: 16 Matt Moulds, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Matt Matich, 21 Jonathan Ruru, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Sonny Bill Williams

Date: Saturday March 02
Venue: Estadio Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Kick-Off: 6:40pm (Argentina)
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)