Super Rugby Preview – Sharks vs Jaguares

Two winning teams from last weekend will battle-it-out on Saturday. In the latest round of Super Rugby the Sharks are at home to Los Jaguares in a match which sees many RWC hopefuls facing off on opposing teams.

The South African side have made three changes from the team which humiliated the Lions last weekend. The 42-5 victory makes them a team to take careful note of for the remainder of the Super Rugby campaign.

Among the changes is Jean-Luc du Preez. The Springbok is back in the side following a lengthily injury lay-off. He has been named on the bench. Yet the Sharks line-up is not at full-strength. With 2019 being a RWC year there is player rotation which sees Tendai Mtawarira, Coenie Oosthuizen, and Jacques Vermeulen all rested.

Changes that result from the policy see starts for Juan Schoeman, and Thomas du Toit as the props, with Kerron van Vuuren completing the front-row at hooker. Also starting will be Philip van der Walt who takes over from Vermeulen on the side of the scrum at flanker.

Gonzalo Quesada’s Jaguares line-up features four changes from the side that defeated the Bulls. Three of the alterations come in the forwards with Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro in for rookie Mayco Vivas at loose head; Marcos Kremer moving from second-row to flanker and Tomás Lezana from flanker to N8; and Tomás Lavanini starting in the second-row.

In the backs Domingo Miotti has been rewarded for his brilliant  contribution from the bench against the Bulls. He replaces Santiago González Iglesias at fly half with the latter dropped from the match-day 23 altogether. Miotti will be covered by Juan Cruz Mallía who wink be covering fly half, and center.

Fullback and wing will be covered by Santiago Carreras who will earn his debut in Super Rugby should he receive game time on Saturday. His opportunity comes following injury to Ramiro Moyano who is back in Argentina. Changes sees Emiliano Boffelli moving to the wing, and Joaquín Tuculet starting at fullback.

Saturday’s match is to be the 7th time Los Jaguares and the Sharks meet in Super Rugby. The Sharks won the first four, winning 19–15 in Durban and 25-22 in Buenos Aires in 2016. In 2017 they met at the same venues with the Sharks winning 18-13 at home and then 33-25 on the road. In 2018 Los Jaguares won 29-13 in Buenos Aires but lost 20-10 in Durban.

Quesada’s team is highly impressive and well placed to put in a competitive performance. Yet with the form being what it is of the Sharks they go into the match as favorites to win a close match by 3 points.

TEAMS

SHARKS
1 Juan Schoeman, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 5 Hyron Andrews, 6 Luke Stringer, 7 Philip van der Walt, 8 Daniel du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder (capt.), 10 Robert du Preez, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 14 Lwazi Mvovo, 15 Curwin Bosch

Replacements: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 JJ van der Mescht, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Kobus van Wyk, 23 Aphelele Fassi

JAGUARES
1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julián Montoya, 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Tomás Lezana, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 10 Domingo Miotti, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Jerónimo De la Fuente (capt.), 13 Matías Orlando, 14 Matías Moroni, 15 Joaquín Tuculet

Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Javier Ortega Desio, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Juan Cruz Mallía, 23 Santiago Carreras

Date: Saturday, April 13
Kick-Off: 10:05am (Argentina)
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Federico Anselmi (Argentina), Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)