Smith expecting strong Argentinian side

Springbok assistant coach Franco Smith believes the Jaguares’ poor Super Rugby season won't lead to a below par Argentina performance in the Rugby Championship.

The Jaguares only won seven of 15 games, finishing second from bottom in the Africa 2 Conference.

Poor discipline was a serious problem for them. They conceded more penalties than any other team in the competition, while also receiving the second-most yellow cards.

The Argentine Test side is made up of Jaguares players, but Smith is not expecting a similar performance from them in the Rugby Championship.

"They will bring something very different to what we saw from them in Super Rugby and we are expecting that," Smith was quoted as saying on the KweséESPN website.

"Since the last round of Super Rugby they will have been focusing just on these next two matches (next week in Salta). They would also have had the opportunity to have at least one or two weeks' rest before starting the build-up.

"One of the big differences is that instead of looking forward to a competition that lasts over several months, they are now preparing for a competition that features just six games."