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It is still January, yet the Super Rugby season is here. In the opening round of the season Los Jaguares take on the Lions at Velez Sarsfield. In 2019 the teams finished second and ninth respectively.
Gonzalo Quesada has made an immediate change with Mayco Vivas, and Julián Montoya preferred to Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and Julián Montoya up front. Guido Petti and Lucas Paulos are to start in the second-row with the former being joined by Francisco Gorrissen as the line-out targets.
Gorrissen earns his second Super Rugby start, following the 2019 match against the Sunwolves. Marcos Kremer and Tomás Lezana complete the starting forwards. This sees Javier Ortega Desio among the replacements.
Tomás Cubelli captains the side in the absence of Jerónimo de la Fuente. He joins Joaquín Díaz Bonilla in the halves, while Juan Cruz Mallía and Matías Moroni will play together for the first time in the centers.
Outwide Emiliano Boffelli transfers from fullback to wing, a move that sees the counter-attacking expert of Santiago Carreras starting at the back. He and Bautista Delguy will look to double-team the Lions.
The Lions have not brought all of their top players across the Atlantic Ocean. Recent recruit Willem Alberts will not play and nor will Ross Cronje, Gianni Lombard, Wandisile Simelane or Jamba Ulengo.
The side selected features RWC winners from two different tournaments. Jannie du Plessis will anchor the scrum at tight-head, joining Dylan Smith and Pieter Jansen in the front-row. Ruben Schoemann and Marvin Drie will lock the scrum, while Marnus Schoeman, Vincent Tshituka and Len Massyn complete the starting pack of forwards.
RWC 2019 replacement fly half, Elton Jantjies will start at pivot. He is to play outside 9 Andre Warner, with Dan Kriel and Duncan Matthews starting as the centers. Tyrone Green, Tiaan Swanepoel and Cournall Skosan complete the line-up in the back-three.
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 the 2018 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 Lions rebounded to win at home convincingly, 47-39.
ARN projects a winning start to 2020 for Los Jaguares by 13 points.
TEAMS
JAGUARES
1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Julián Montoya, 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Lucas Paulos, 6 Francisco Gorrissen, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Tomás Lezana, 9 Tomás Cubelli (capt.), 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Juan Cruz Mallía, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Santiago Carreras
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Javier Ortega Desio, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Matías Orlando
LIONS
1 Dylan Smith, 2 Pieter Jansen, 3 Janne du Plessis, 4 Ruben Schoemann, 5 Marvin Drie, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 8 Len Massyn, 9 Andre Warner, 10 Elton Jantjies, 11 Cournall Skosan, 12 Dan Kriel, 13 Duncan Matthews, 14 Tyrone Green, 15 Tiaan Swanepoel
Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Morne van der Berg, 22 Manuel Rass, 23 Ruan Vermaak
Date: Saturday, February 01
Kick-Off: 8:00pm (Rio de la Plata)
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Pablo Deluca (Argentina), Martín Córdoba (Argentina)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)
Transmissions: ESPN
