Magnificent Jaguares outlast Chiefs to secure home Semi Final

Magnificent defense from Los Jaguares saw the Argentine Super Rugby side outlast the Chiefs to secure a home Super Rugby Semi Final. Los Jaguares were 21-16 winners in what was a tightly-fought contest resembling a test match.

Gonzalo Quesada’s team got off to a dream start, scoring a try within the opening minute. Sloppy ball-control from the Chiefs saw Los Jaguares gathering the ball deep in the opposition 22. Raids followed with Matera getting the score.

Fly half Joaquín Díaz Bonilla would miss the conversion but would make amends with a penalty. With it the home side were out to an early 8-0 lead.

The New Zealand side would fight back to cancel out Los Jaguares’ great start to score 16 unanswered points. 10 of these would come before half-time with Lachlan Boshier scoring from a Brad Weber break to give the Chiefs their only try of the night.

The boot of fly half Jack Debreczeni and replacement Marty McKenzie would see the Chiefs in firm control 10 minutes into the second half. The remainder of the match would be different though as ferocious Jaguares defense would see them preventing the Chiefs from scoring again.

The turning point came from Matías Moroni. With pressure from the forwards space would open and Moroni would go over, running in to set-up a straight-forward conversion for Díaz Bonilla.

The conversion would be successful and with two further penalties the home side was out of penalty range for the Chiefs. The New Zealanders would have an opportunity deep in Jaguars’ territory but the home side would hold firm to then play the remainder of the game in the Chiefs’ 22.

A penalty with time-up saw Díaz Bonilla kicking into the crowd as the players, and fans exploded with delight. A classic was over with the magnificent Jaguares having outlasted the Chiefs to secure a home Semi Final.

Los Jaguares now await the result of the Brumbies vs Sharks. The winner of that Quarter Final will travel to Buenos Aires to face Los Jaguares next Friday evening.

 

SCORING

JAGUARES (21)
Try: Matera, Moroni
Conversion: Díaz Bonilla
Penalty: Díaz Bonilla (3)

CHIEFS (16)
Try: Boshier
Conversion: Debreczeni
Penalty: Debreczeni (2), McKenzie

TEAMS

JAGUARES
1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Agustín Creevy, 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Matías Moroni, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente (capt.), 13 Matías Orlando, 14 Sebastián Cancelliere, 15 Emiliano Boffelli

Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Tomás Lezana, 20 Francisco Gorrissen, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Santiago Carreras

CHIEFS
1 Atu Moli, 2 Nathan Harris, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 4 Brodie Retallick, 5 Tyler Ardron, 6 Lachlan Boshier, 7 Sam Cane (capt.), 8 Pita Gus Sowakula, 9 Brad Weber, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 11 Sean Wainui, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 13 Tumua Manu, 14 Shaun Stevenson, 15 Solomon Alaimalo

Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Jesse Parete, 20 Mitchell Jacobson, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Marty McKenzie, 23 Alex Nankivell