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With a snap of the fingers Los Jaguares are ready for action. Gonzalo Quesada’s second year in charge of the team sees the year beginning against the Georgia XV in Mar el Plata on Friday. The match is a first of its kind with the Argentine Super Rugby franchise playing a home match outside of Buenos Aires for the first time.
With the match being a pre-season exhibition it is to be played under unlimited interchange rules. For this season Quesada has a roster of 30 players and all involved are free to take to the field. With this in mind it is of note to see who has been excluded.
The line-up named to start resembles a team for a regular Super Rugby fixture. The starting front-row from 2019 has been retained in Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Agustín Creevy and Santiago Medrano. The second-row is also at full-strength with Guido Petti and Matías Alemanno starting. This sees Marcos Kremer continuing at flanker and he will join Francisco Gorrisen and Tomás Lezana in rounding out the starting forwards.
In the backs the starting halves combination from 2019, Tomás Cubelli and Joaquín Díaz Bonilla will run-out together. Experimentation and injuries to centers see Juan Cruz Mallía at inside center, while in the back-three there will be pace to burn with Santiago Carreras and Bautista Delguy starting on the wings.
Injuries aside, the notable absentee in the backs is Lucas Mensa and in the forwards it is Javier Ortega Desio. The former has been named in Los Ceibos for the SLAR, yet he is expected to feature in Super Rugby at some point in 2020.
The Georgia XV roster is close to being completely home based. Those based abroad are Nika Pataraia, who has been named as a replacement, and Anton Peikrishvili who will captain the side. The former plays for Dinamo Bucuresti in Romania while Peikrishvili is a veteran of 27 tests and has previous experience playing in France.
None of the Georgia XV roster traveled to Japan as a part of RWC 2019. Notwithstanding, the road to the RWC 2023 qualifiers is underway and the players in Argentina are there for a reason.
Friday’s match is to be the first between the sides. The second will be in San Isidro, the the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires on January 24.
The match will be available on tv and streaming in Argentina on ESPN.
JAGUARES
1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustín Creevy, 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Marcos Kremer, 7 Francisco Gorrisen, 8 Tomás Lezana, 9 Tomás Cubelli (capt.), 10 Joaqúin Díaz Bonilla, 11 Santiago Carreras, 12 Juan Cruz Mallía, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Emiliano Boffelli
Replacements: Mayco Vivas, Juan Pablo Zeiss, Santiago Socino, Lucio Sordoni, Lucas Paulos, Rodrigo Bruni, Santiago Grondona, Marcos Kremer, Tomás Lezana, Felipe Ezcurra, Domingo Miotti, Santiago Chocobares, Sebastián Cancelliere, Mateo Carreras, Joaquín Tuculet
GEORGIA XV
1 Zura Eristavi, 2 Beka Mamrikishvili, 3 Anton Peikrishvili (capt.), 4 Mikheil Babunashvili, 5 Sandro Koiava, 6 Guram Shengelia, 7 Dachi Kopadze, 8 Vano Putkaradze, 9 Vazha Khutsishvili, 10 Rezi Jinchvelashvili, 11 Nika Gigauri, 12 Giorgi Natelashvili, 13 Guram Kandaurashvili, 14 Anzor Sichinava, 15 Irakli Svanidze
Replacements: 16 Goga Khuroshvili, 17 Beka Gvaramia, 18 Nika Pataraia, 19 Vano Berikashvili, 20 Giorgi Mchedlishvili, 21 Koba Bujiashvili, 22 Giorgi Babunashvili, 23 Davit Modzgvrishvili, 24 Revaz Tsiklauri, 25 Tornike Zoidze, 26 Archil Abesadze, 27 Giorgi Chuadze, 28 Sandro Mamamtavrishvili, 29 Tornike Kiknadze
Date: Friday, January 17
Venue: Estadio José María Minella, Mar del Plata
Kickoff: 21:00 local (19:00 Eastern)
Broadcasts:
