Miotti masterclass helps Jaguares to bonus point win over Lions in Bueno Aires

It took the Jaguares a little bit of time to find their rhythm but in the end, they proved far too good for the Lions.

Although the Jaguares were better across the park, it was reserve first five Domingo Miotti’s early introduction to the game that coincided with the Jaguares taking the lead.

Miotti took over from Joaquin Diaz Bonilla after the starting 10 succumbed to injury in the 7th minute of the match.

Just minutes later, Miotti dived over after some good work from the Jaguares forwards from a lineout near the Lions’ goal-line. Miotti converted his own try to give the Jaguares a 7-0 lead.

Lions first five Elton Jantjies kicked a penalty goal to get his side on the scoreboard and they then took the lead just moments later when Andre Riaan Warner sprinted almost 80 metres to score an excellent breakway try.

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A Miotti penalty shortly after gave the Jaguares a 10-8 advantage which they took into the halftime break.

In the second half, not even an early yellow card to lock Marcos Kremer to help the Lions, with the Jaguares scoring a further 20 unanswered points.

First, midfielder Matias Moroni notched a double, then reserve loose forward Javier Ortega Desio profited from a Miotti-created linebreak inside the Lions’ 22.

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All the while, Miotti’s tactical kicking kept the Lions pegged back inside their own half – or helped the Jaguares gain possession further up the field with some excellently placed high balls.

Argentina talisman Augustus Creevy capped the match off with a try off the back of a lineout maul in the dying minutes of the game.

The game marked the Jaguares’ fifth win in a row over South African opposition (a record for the club) as well as their sixth regular-season win on the trot.

It's bad start for Jason Holland's reign as coach of @HurricanesRugby – but there's also some disappointing news for supporters of @TheStormers.https://t.co/VJsd2xeTj1 #SuperRugby

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 1, 2020

The Jaguares expectations last year by progressing all the way to the Super Rugby final in Christchurch and defied expectations to actually outplay the more fancied Crusaders but couldn’t quite do enough to get themselves over the line.

Miotti spent much of 2019 as back up to Bonilla but there have been calls for the 23-year-old to take the reins moving forward. Neither Miotti nor Bonilla, 30, travelled to the World Cup with Argentina last year.

The Jaguares’ 30-point win over the Lions moves them to the top of the Super Rugby standings after the first round of competition. They’re joined by the Crusaders and, shockingly, the Sunwolves as the league’s three conference leaders.

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