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Jaguares bring the firepower back for Super Rugby final

Ramiro Moyano of the Jaguares. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The Jaguares resemble the Pumas even more closely after making three changes to their starting team for the Super Rugby final against the Crusaders in Christchurch.

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Coach Gonzalo Quesada has leaned heavily on experience to topple the two-time defending champions in Christchurch on Sunday, with 11 of his starting team having been involved in Argentina’s most recent Test, against Scotland last November.

The three new faces have played 101 Tests between them, bringing the cap tally in the Jaguares starting line-up to an imposing 617.

Prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, who boasts 50 Tests, replaces young loosehead Mayco Vivas while winger Ramiro Moyano (30 caps) and flanker Marcos Kremer (21 caps) demote Sebastian Cancelliere and Tomas Lezana to the bench.

Matias Moroni switches from the left wing to the right to cater for dangerous speedster Moyano.

The reserves have also been bolstered by the addition of 36-year-old forward Juan Manuel Leguizamon, who has played 85 Tests but only been fit enough to start four matches for the Jaguares this year.

Outside centre Matias Orlando said his team are hardened from enough big games to be able to handle the pressure of a final.

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“We are here because it is what we wanted and what we dreamed and we do not want to miss this opportunity,” he said through a translation.

“I do not know if we or they are better but on Saturday we play 80 minutes where we will define who is the best.

“All the experience that we add these years make us today very confident and we know that we have the ability to play as an equal to a team that everyone sees as a favourite.”

The Jaguares have won 11 or their last 12 games in a breakthrough campaign although they haven’t played the top qualifying Crusaders this season.

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Jaguares: Emiliano Boffelli, Matias Moroni, Matias Orlando, Jeronimo de la Fuente (c), Ramiro Moyano, Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, Tomas Cubelli, Javier Ortega Desio, Ma rcos Kremer, Pablo Matera, Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti, Santiago Medrano, Agustin Creevy, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro. Reserves: Julian Montoya, Mayco Vivas, Enrique Pieretto, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Tomas Lezana, Felipe Ezcurra, Domingo Miotti, Sebastian Cancelliere.

– AAP

Can the Jaguares triumph in Christchurch? Ali Williams and Mils Muliaina think so:

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Flankly 2 hours ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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