Jaguares Players Yet to Play Super Rugby in 2017

With Los Jaguares having completed the first stage of their campaign the roster is given a welcomed week off. Some have been heavily involved while others are waiting to have their first opportunity of the season. There are a total of 15 Jaguares yet to play Super Rugby in 2017. This included players drafted in from the Argentina XV.

Los Jaguares will not play this coming weekend but, rather, will play over the following three weekends in South Africa. The demanding schedule will not end there. Los Jaguares will return from playing in Johannesburg on April 21 to host the Sharks in Buenos Aires on April 29. It is to be the first of three straight rounds of home matches.

The high demands are certain to see players managed with the desire of seeing them through to the end of the season. The roster announced in January for the season had 44 players. Changes to it have seen both Facundo Isa and Facundo Bosch departing for France.

Felipe Arregui was not in the original 44-man squad. He has, however featured since his return from Scotland, including starting at Tight Head prop. Excluding Isa and Bosch there are 10 players from the initial 44 who are try to receive game time this season.

Injury
A number of players are yet play due to injury. Out with a broken leg is scrum-half and regular vice-captain, Martín Landajo. Gonzalo Bertranou has filled-in for Landajo with Felipe Ezcurra the next in line.

Tomás Lavanini remains sidelined. Having been injured in the 2016 win over South Africa the second-rower is not being rushed back. He is priority for Los Pumas which has seen Marcos Kremer and Ignacio Larrague stepping-up to fill the void. Guido Petti and Matías Alemanno continue to be the top three options together with Lavanini.

Now fit but yet to play is veteran Juan Manuel Leguizamón. The Santiago del Estero flanker is expected to play in Los Jaguares’ second tour to South Africa. The same holds true of Javier Ortega Desio, another player yet to feature in the Super Rugby campaign. Both players featured against Uruguay in a pre-season warm-up.

Flier Manuel Montero has been involved in training but not considered in a position worthy of risk. As such he is yet to play a match all year. He was also a victim in late 2016, missing out on playing for Los Pumas in the U.K, despite having toured with the squad.

Selection
Seven additional players are yet to play based on selection. Promising No 8 Santiago Portillo was involved in the warm-up matches but is yet to wear Jaguares’ colors. Other players falling into this category include props Facundo Gigena and Enrique Pieretto in addition to Uruguayan winger, Nicolás Freitas.

Gigena and Freitas both featured in the Americas Rugby Championship. Game time kept them active as it also did to the trio of second-rower Juan Cruz Guillemaín, utility back Gabriel Ascárate and center Santiago Álvarez.

The case of Pieretto is different though. The Tight Head prop was suspended for foul play against England last November. He served his suspension and was free to play against the Reds but Raúl Pérez opted to utilize others.

Called-up
Additional players have been added to the 44-man initial roster. Aside from Arregui there has been a full-time contract for Nicolás Freitas. Additional players are waiting in line.

Three such players are Hooker Gaspar Baldunciel, winger Julián Domínguez and center Bruno Devoto. The trio joined training last week to add depth ahead of facing the Reds. None of the three received game time but the likelihood of all doing so at some point is plausible.