Jaguares announce 44-man squad

Editor

Jaguares head coach Raul Perez and the team’s selectors have unveiled a 44-man training squad ahead of pre-season.

The Argentine franchise are gearing up for their second season in Super Rugby, where they will be 60/1 contenders for the title, and once again are pooled in Africa 2 alongside the Kings, Sharks and Lions.

Established internationals such as Ramiro Herrera, Agustín Creevy, Facundo Isa, Martín Landajo, Nicolás Sánchez, Juan Martín Hernández, Matías Moroni and Santiago Cordero are all named in the squad.

Perez said: “The immediate challenge is to put in practice within the group all the experience we accumulated in 2016.

“We are coming back to compete in the most important tournament in the world and the most demanding, and with a season under our belt it is very different.

About the game and the first opponent, he said: “The expectation we have set is to go game by game. And I remember when we played against the Kings in Port Elizabeth, our indiscipline cost us. And I think that’s the challenge.

“Then we will on preparing for the second game, which is against the Stormers in Cape Town, and build on what we do well in the opener and have the reflexes to change what we don’t do so well.”

Jaguares 44-man squad

Forwards: Cristian Bartoloni, Santiago García Botta, Facundo Gigena, Ramiro Herrera, Lucas Noguera Paz, Enrique Pieretto, Roberto Tejerizo, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Facundo Bosch, Agustín Creevy, Julián Montoya, Matías Alemanno, Juan Cruz Guillemaín, Marcos Kremer, Ignacio Larrague, Tomás Lavanini, Guido Petti, Rodrigo Báez, Facundo Isa, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, Tomás Lezana, Benjamín Macome, Pablo Matera, Javier Ortega Desio, Santiago Portillo, Leonardo Senatore

Backs: Gonzalo Bertranou, Felipe Ezcurra, Martín Landajo, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Nicolás Sánchez, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, Juan Martín Hernández, Gabriel Ascárate, Jerónimo de la Fuente, Bautista Ezcurra, Santiago Álvarez, Matías Moroni, Matías Orlando, Santiago Cordero, Manuel Montero, Emiliano Boffelli, Ramiro Moyano, Joaquín Tuculet