Jaguares v Lions
Sunday 2 February, 10.40am NZT at Jose Amalifatani Stadium, Buenos Aires
Played: 9
Won: Jaguares 3, Lions 6
Last match: Lions 47, Jaguares 39
Round one finishes with a blockbuster clash in the South African conference between the Jaguares and Lions. Both teams have been finalists in recent seasons and will be eager to flex their championship credentials early in the season.
Jaguares head coach Gonzalo Quesada has named his team for their Super Rugby opener against the Lions in Buenos Aires.
The match is scheduled for 01:00 (SA time) on Sunday morning.
Scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli leads the Jaguares in the absence of centre Jeronimo de la Fuente.
It’s an experienced Jaguares team, with 12 players who played in last year’s Super Rugby final against the Crusaders named in the match-day squad.
Elton Jantjies will captain the Lions side in their tough opening Super Rugby encounter against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires early on Sunday morning.
Jantjies, who has 134 Super Rugby caps to his name, leads a team that will feature four debutants in the form of Ruben Schoeman and Tiaan Swanepoel in the starting line-up and Morne van der Berg and Manuel Rass who are on the bench.
Dan Kriel, who played for the Stormers last year, starts at inside centre while another former Stormers player, tighthead prop Carlu Sadie, starts from the bench.
Former Springbok prop Jannie du Plessis will start in the No 3 jumper.
The Lions face a tough task in their opening match with the Jaguares having won the South African conferbence last year before losing in the final to the Crusaders.
TEAMS:
Jaguares: 15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Juan Cruz Mallia, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, 9 Tomás Cubelli (c), 8 Tomás Lezana, 7 Marco Kremer, 6 Francisco Gorrissen, 5 Lucas Paulos, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Mayco Vivas
Replacements: 16 Augustin Creevy, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Javier Ortego Desio, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Matias Orlando
Lions: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Tyrone Green, 13 Duncan Matthews, 12 Dan Kriel, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies (c), 9 Andre Warner, 8 Len Massyn, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Pieter Jansen, 1 Dylan Smith
Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 20 Ruan Vermaak, 21 Hacjivah Dayimani, 22 Morne van der Berg, 23 Manuel Rass
Jaguares v Lions
@ Jose Amalfitani Stadium
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Pablo Deluca (Argentina), Martin Cordoba (Argentina)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)
