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As reported by Americas Rugby news last week Enrique Pieretto will not be playing Super Rugby for Los Jaguares in 2020. The tight head prop is the fifth Jaguar from 2019 to be confirmed as playing elsewhere during the 2020 season.
For Pieretto his new club is the Exeter Chiefs. He is the second Jaguares prop to sign to play in the English Premiership. The other player is loose head prop Santiago García Botta who signed for Harlequins and for whom he made his European Champions Cup debut this past weekend.
No new player has been signed in place of García thus far. For Pieretto the situation is different. Joel Sclavi signed for Jaguares from France to join Santiago Medrano, and Lucio Sordoni as the specialist tight head props for 2020.
In addition to García Botta the Harlequins signed Martín Landajo. His departure ended his test career with Tomás Cubelli, Gonzalo Bertranou, and Felipe Ezcurra the options for Los Pumas. The trio will all be on the 2020 Jaguares roster.
The international future for Tomás Lavanini is clouded. Having been red carded in a must-win RWC pool match his move to the Leicester Tigers places him in a difficult position to be selected for Los Pumas. His recent debut saw him joining fellow former Puma Facundo Gigena on the field. No second-rower has yet been signed in place of Lavanini.
Jaguares captain from 2018 and Los Pumas captain since November 2018, Pablo Matera will not be a Jaguar in 2020. Matera’s new home is Stade Français where he is a teammate of Nicolàs Sánchez. The places of Matera and 36-year-old Juan Manuel Leguizamón have gone to Santiago Grondona, and Bautista Pedemonte. Both will be rookies in 2020.
The playing future of Ramiro Moyano is soon to be confirmed. Indications are that he will be departing Los Jaguares to play for Toulon in France. Mateo Carreras recently signed for Los Jaguares in what was, in effect, his replacement.
