Jaguares scrum-half Felipe Ezcurra is the latest player to sign a new contract. He has been locked in to the Argentine Super Rugby team on a new two-year deal that will run until the end of 2021.
Training for the 2020 Super Rugby season is to begin next week. Los Jaguares have Ezcurra as one of three specialist scrum-halves, the others being Gonzalo Bertrnaou, and Tomás Cubelli. The three joined Martín Landajo as the players under Gonzalo Quesada in 2019.
Bertranou began the year as the first choice player. He was injured after just one match which saw Ezcurra drafted in and he would go on to become the second choice player for the season.
Limited opportunities for Landajo were not helped by him signing to play for the Harlequins. His move to the UK effectively ended his test career. Mario Ledesma opted for Cubelli and Ezcurra for RWC 2019 with Bertranou flying-in as an injury replacement ahead of the final match against the USA.
Cubelli started against England, Tonga, and France with Ezcurra being his understudy in all three RWC fixtures. The hierarchy for 2020 is set to be altered though due to Cubelli not being fit for the pre-season activities.
The lessons of 2019 are expected to see differing selection policies for 2020. With an eye to having players in prime condition for international duty the trio are likely to share the load of the 9 and 21 shirts. Also in the waiting will be Jaguares XV players including Gregório del Prete and Ignacio Inchauspe. They are leading contenders to play in the Súper Liga Americana.