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In round our of the 2019 Super Rugby season Los Jaguares are on the road against the Lions. The match is to be the second of the season between the sides and marks a first away match for Los Jaguares this year.
Coming off a 30-12 loss against the Bulls Lions Head Coach Swys de Bruin have made seven changes to face Los Jaguares. Two of the alterations come in the forwards with Ruan Vermaak replacing Stephan Lewies in the second-row and Vincent Tshituka starting at flanker in place of Hacjivah Dayimani. This sees a positional shift with Kwagga Smith moving to N8.
In the backs five of the seven starters against the Bulls have been replaced. Ross Cronjé takes over from Nic Groom at scrum-half; Courtnall Skosan starts ahead of star winger Aphiwe Dyantyi; Sylvian Mahuza replaces Ruan Combrinck on the other wing; while Franco Naude, and Wandisile Simelane take over from Harold Vorster, and Lionel Mapoe in the mid-field.
Gonzalo Quesada has gone for eleven changes for Los Jaguares. The Head Coach welcomes back Emiliano Boffelli for the first time this year to form a back-three with Joaquín Tuculet, and Sebastián Cancelliere. Tuculet will captain the side with Matías Orlando dropping to the bench while Cancelliere is another set to play for the first time this season.
Orlando is being rested as are wingers Ramiro Moyano, and Bautista Delguy. In for Orlando is Bautista Ezcurra to also get his first game of 2019 while veteran scrum-half Martín Landajo will have his first start.
In the forwards it is all-change in the front-row. Juan Pablo Zeiss, Julián Montoya, and Enrique Pieretto replace Mayco Vivas, Agustín Creevy, and Santiago Medrano. Of them Creevy is out through injury. In the second-row Guido Petti will be joined by Matías Alemanno with Tomás Lavanini dropping to the bench. Finally Juan Manuel Leguizamón, and Rodrigo Bruni will start ion place of Pablo Matera, Javier Ortega Desio respectively.
Prior matches between the sides favor the Lions. The first fixture was in May 2016 with the Lions winning 52-24 in Johannesburg. Los Jaguares got the better of them in the reverse fixture, winning 34-22 in Buenos Aires.
In 2017 and 2018 they would again split the results. Los Jaguares won 36-24 at home while the Lions held on to win 24-21 in Johannesburg in 2017. Last year the Lions won 47-27 in South Africa while Los Jaguares did so 49-35 at home.
In last year’s Quarter Final the Lions were 40-23 winners in Johannesburg while in round one of 2019 the Lions won on the road, downing Los Jaguares 25-16 in Buenos Aires. The trend is expected to continue on Saturday with the Lions being favorites to win by 13 points.
TEAMS
LIONS
1 Dylan Smith, 2 Malcolm Marx (capt.), 3 Carlu Sadie, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 5 Rhyno Herbst, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 8 Kwagga Smith, 9 Ross Cronje, 10 Elton Jantjies, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 12 Franco Naude, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 14 Sylvian Mahuza, 15 Andries Coetzee
Replacements: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Stephan Lewies, 20 James Venter, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Harold Vorster, 23 Gianni Lombard
JAGUARES
1 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 2 Julián Montoya, 3 Enrique Pieretto, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Sebastián Cancelliere, 15 Joaquín Tuculet (capt.)
Replacements: 16 Gaspar Baldunciel, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Matías Orlando, 23 Juan Cruz Mallia
Date: Saturday March 09
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-Off: 10:05am (Argentina)
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa), Griffin Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Willie Vos (South Africa)
