SR Preview: Jaguares vs Reds

In week three of the 2020 Super Rugby season, Los Jaguares are at home against the Reds. The match marks the final match of the opening section of the campaign and sees the South Americans completing their first stretch of home games before departing for a tour of South Africa.

Head Coach Gonzalo Quesada has gone for five changes. Three of them are in the forwards with first starts of the season for hooker Agustín Creevy an tight-head Lucio Sordoni. They replace Julián Montoya and Santiago Medrano, the latter rested with Joel Sclavi retained on the bench. The final change up front sees Tomás Lezana replacing Francisco Gorrissen at flanker.

Edit: Creevy will not play after being ruled out with a bicep injury. This sees Montoya starting and Santiago Socino to make his first appearance of the year as Montoya’s understudy.

In the backs Felipe Ezcurra replaces Tomás Cubelli and Bautista Delguy takes over from Sebastián Cancelliere. There is no place for Cancelliere in the 23 as the fit-again Juan Cruz Mallía will play a utility role from the bench.

Edit: Jerónimo de la Fuente was decalred unfit to play hours before kick-off. Taking his spot will be Mallía with Santiago Chocobares becoming the replacement.

Included for the first time in 2020 are Javier Díaz and Matías Alemanno. The Leicester Tigers have been in talks with the veteran lock, while Díaz has been preferred to veteran Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro who was the starter in 2019, but is behind Mayco Vivas this year.

Former All Black Brad Thron has named a side packed with Wallabies. Among them are the Tongan Thor, Taniela Tupou who starts at tight-head prop; second-rower Izack Rodda; flanker Lukhan Salakaia-Loto; fly half James O’Connor; and winger Henry Speight.

Thorn has matched Quesada in also opting for five changes to this starting line-up. Out of action is star back Jordan Petaia. His spot has gone to who will partner Hamish Stewart in the mid-field.

Playing for the first time in the 2020 Super Rugby season is winger Chris Feauai-Sautia. He joins Speight and Jock Campbell in the back-three, with the latter moving from wing to fullback.

There have been three prior matches between Los Jaguares and the Reds. The first match was a round five fixture in the 2017 Super Rugby season. Los Jaguares hosted and defeated the Reds 22-8 on that occasion. In game two the Reds were 18-7 winners, also in Buenos Aires. The most recent fixture was in 2019 with Los Jaguares winning 34-23 in Brisbane.

Last week saw a win slip out of the hands of Los Jaguares late in the match. The outcome is certain to have the Argentine side fired up. They ought to have the means of completing a win on Saturday. ARN predicts a Jaguares win by 10 points.

 

TEAMS

JAGUARES
1 Mayco Vivas, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Lucio Sordoni, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Lucas Paulos, 6 Tomás Lezana, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 10 Domingo Miotti, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Juan Cruz Mallia, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Santiago Carreras

Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Javier Díaz, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Tomás Cubelli, 22 Tomás Albornoz, 23 Santiago Chocobares

REDS
1 JP Smith, 2 Alex Mafi, 3 Taniela Tupou, 4 Izack Rodda, 5 Angus Blyth, 6 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 7 Liam Wright (capt.), 8 Harry Wilson, 9 Tate McDermott, 10 James O’Connor, 11 Henry Speight, 12 Hamish Stewart, 13 Hunter Paisami, 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 15 Jock Campbell

Replacements: 16 Sean Farrell, 17 Dane Zander, 18 Josh Nasser, 19 Harry Hockings, 20 Angus Scott-Young, 21 Moses Sorovi, 22 Isaac Lucas, 23 Bryce Hegarty

Date: Saturday, February 15.
Kick-Off: 8:00pm (Rio de la Plata)
Venue: Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistant Referee: Martín Córdoba (Argentina), Pablo Deluca (Argentina)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)