Super Rugby Preview: Jaguares vs Hurricanes

In round two of the 2020 Super Rugby season, Los Jaguares are to take-on the Hurricanes in Buenos Aires. The Argentine side head into the game in fine form, following a 38-8 win over the Lions in round one. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes were hammered 27-0 by the Stormers in Cape Town.

Gonzalo Quesada welcomes back captain Jerónimo de la Fuente. He replaces Juan Cruz Mallía at inside center due to the latter having taken a knock to the head last weekend. de la Fuente will play inside Domingo Miotti who played 74 minutes from the bench in game one. The additional change to the backs sees Sebastián Cancelliere starting in place of Bautista Delguy who suffered a minor injury against the Lions.

In the forwards Tomás Lezana makes way for Rodrigo Bruni. This sees a natural N8 replacing a flanker who was out of position and see Lezana being the only changed replacement forward. The backs are different with Gonzalo Bertranou in for Felipe Ezcurra; Tomás Albornoz for Miotti; and Santiago Chocobares for the Matías Orlando who is out for the season.

Albornoz and Chocobares will make their Super Rugby debuts while Emiliano Boffelli is to play his 50th game for Los Jaguares.

The Hurricanes have made two changes to their starting line-up. In the backs Jackson Garden-Bachop replaces Fletcher Smith at fly half. This sees him partnering All Black TJ Perenara in the halves. The remainder of the starting backline is unchanged from last weekend.

In the forwards there is also one change. It comes at hooker wherein Ricky Riccitelli drops to the bench to make way for former New Zealand u20s player, Asafo Aumua.

Saturday’s match will be fourth meeting between Los Jaguares and the Hurricanes. The first clash was in the 2016 season with the Hurricanes winning 40-22 in Wellington; in 2018 they were 34-9 winners in Buenos Aires; and in 2019 Los Jaguares completed a 28-20 win over the New Zealanders in Wellington.

Los Jaguares go into the match this weekend as the odds-on-favorites for victory. The performances of both sides last weekend, combined with travel for the visitors and the teams’ player rosters point to a Jaguares win by 15 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 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 10 Domingo Miotti, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente (capt.), 13 Matiás Moroni, 14 Sebastián Cancelliere, 15 Santiago Carreras

Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Javier Ortega Desio, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Tomás Albornoz, 23 Santiago Chocobares

HURRICANES
1 Fraser Armstrong, 2 Asafo Aumua, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 4 James Blackwell, 5 Scott Scrafton, 6 Reed Prinsep, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 8 Gareth Evans, 9 TJ Perenara (capt.), 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 11 Ben Lam, 12 Ngani Laumape, 13 Billy Proctor, 14 Wes Goosen, 15 Jordie Barrett

Replacements: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Tevita Mafileo, 18 Alex Fidow, 19 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20 Vaea Fifita, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Fletcher Smith, 23 Vince Aso

Date: Saturday, February 08
Kick-Off: 8:00pm (Rio de la Plata)
Venue: Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Paulo Deluca (Argentina), Martín Córdoba (Argentina)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)