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The play-off’s bound Jaguares play-host to the Sharks on Saturday in Buenos Aires. In what is a homecoming fixture for Gonzalo Quesada’s side, competition points will see the team secure a home Quarter Final.
Los Jaguares are top of the South African Super Rugby conference with 41 points. In second position are the Bulls who, following their draw this morning against the Highlanders, have 36. The Sharks are fourth with 33 points.
The match between the teams in Durban on April 13 was the second win of Los Jaguares’ notable return in 2019. It followed a tight win over the Bulls in Pretoria and was part of a streak of seven wins from the past eight matches.
During this same period the Sharks have fallen away but have named a strong side to face Los Jaguares on Saturday. This incudes a powerful mid-field with Springboks Andre Esterhuizen, and Lukhanyo Am starting together.
The talented Curwin Bosch will start at fullback, Robert du Preez at fly half, Danile du Preez at N8, and Coenie Oosthuizen at tight head. Ruled out is Jean-Luc du Preez who was forced to fly home from Buenos Aires. His spot at flanker has gone to Tyler Paul.
Los Jaguares also have issues at flanker. Tomás Lezana is out though injury, as is second-rower Guido Petti who started last weekend at flanker against the Reds. This sees 36-year-old Juan Manuel Leguizamón starting and debutant Francisco Gorrisen named on the bench.
There have been a total of seven changes from Quesada. In the front-row props Marcos Vivas, and Santiago Medrano start in place of Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, and Lucio Sordoni. Hooker is unchanged with Agustín Creevy starting, and Julián Montoya on the bench ahead of newcomer Santiago Socino.
Without Petti, and Matías Alemanno still yet to recover from injury the second-row will see starting flanker Marcos Kremer joining Tomás Lavanini. They will be covered by rookie Lucas Paulos from the bench.
In the backs Felipe Ezcurra swaps places with Tomás Cubelli at scrum-half while Joaquín Díaz Bonilla plays outside him ahead of Domingo Miotti.
The mid-field combination is again altered with regular captain Jerónimo de la Fuente returning to start at inside center and partnering Matías Moroni. With it Matías Orlando drops to the bench where he will cover both center positions.
The season ending injury to Ramiro Moyano coincides with the return to fitness of Sebastián Cancelliere. He joins Emiliano Boffelli, and Santiago Carreras in the back-three with Joaquín Tuculet again left out of the 23. Also out is Juan Cruz Mallía who started against the Reds.
There have been seven prior matches between Los Jaguares and the Sharks. The Sharks won the first four, winning 19–15 in Durban and 25-22 in Buenos Aires in 2016; 18-13 and 33-25 in home-and-away matches in 2017. In 2018 Los Jaguares were 29-13 winners in Buenos Aires but lost 20-10 in Durban. Earlier this year Quesada’s team won 51-17 in Durban.
Los Jaguares’ season places them as the odds-on-favoties for the win. They go into the match expected to win by 12 points.
TEAMS
JAGUARES
1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Agustín Creevy, 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Marcos Kremer, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Santiago Carreras, 12 Jerónimo De la Fuente (capt.), 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Sebastián Cancelliere, 15 Emiliano Boffelli
Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Lucas Paulos, 20 Francisco Gorrisen, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Matías Orlando
SHARKS
1 Mzamo Majola, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 4 Hyron Andrews, 5 Ruan Botha, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 7 Tyler Paul, 8 Daniel du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder (capt.), 10 Robert du Preez, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 15 Curwin Bosch
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Luke Stringer, 21 Zee Mkhabele, 22 Jeremy Ward, 23 Aphelele Fassi
Date: Saturday, June 08
Kick-Off: 4:40pm (Local)
Venue: Estadio Vélez Sarsfield
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Federico Anselmi (Argentina), Damian Schneider (Argentina)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
