If the Stormers are still in a pre-season slumber, they better get out of it quickly as a virtual Argentina Test team in the form of the Jaguares awaits them.
|||Cape Town - If the Stormers are still in a pre-season slumber, they better get out of it quickly as a virtual Argentina Test team in the form of the Jaguares awaits them at Newlands on Saturday.
Robbie Fleck’s team will wrap up their Super Rugby preparations by taking on the Argentine newcomers and when he takes a look at the squad announced on Monday, he will soon realise the enormity of the challenge for his inexperienced side.
Not that Fleck isn’t aware of just how good the Jaguares can be in 2016, as he has already mentioned them as one of the front-runners in the competition.
Tough Los Pumas captain and hooker Agustin Creevy headlines a galaxy of Rugby World Cup stars who reached the semi-finals in the UK last year, with over 600 Test caps in the 34-man group for friendlies against the Stormers and Lions, as well as their Super Rugby opener against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on February 26.
Creevy is joined by flyhalf and goal-kicking ace Nicolas Sanchez, loose forwards Juan Manuel Leguizamon and Pablo Matera, as well as scrumhalf Martin Landajo and exciting fullback Joaquin Tuculet.
And watch out for tighthead behemoth Ramiro Herrera, who made the official 2015 Rugby World Cup team of the tournament.
So, there is no doubt that Fleck will get proper answers to a number of question-mark areas in his side - halfbacks, loose forward and in midfield - as the Jaguares players’ familiarity with each other are likely to result in a slick outfit.
The ankle injury Springbok star Damian de Allende picked up in Japan, which will keep him out until mid-April, means Fleck will probably have to employ Juan de Jongh in the number 12 jersey once again.
But De Jongh has been with the Springbok Sevens squad since November, and only returned to Cape Town on Monday after the Sydney Sevens tournament at the weekend.
So, even if he is ready and willing to play, he will still have to get acquainted with the new game plan and mindset enveloping Stormers HQ in Bellville, which will hopefully be translated on the field at Newlands on Saturday.
Fleck has a few good but inexperienced options at outside centre if De Jongh is on the inside, with Huw Jones arguably the best bet. Johnny Kotze is a hard-running number 13, but Jones has that “uncoachable” ability to slice the defensive line with perfect timing and a sharp dose of speed, while he is also a solid tackler.
But the biggest test for the Stormers will come at halfback, where Fleck has to make some huge selection calls. Nic Groom and Jano Vermaak are vying for the scrumhalf berth, while Kurt Coleman and Robert du Preez are in the flyhalf mix.
It is understood that Du Preez may get the nod over Coleman initially, so the former SA Under-20 pivot will have to repay Fleck’s faith in him and banish the nightmare performance of last year’s Currie Cup final.
Goal-kicking is another major issue in the absence of Demetri Catrakilis, who went to France. Du Preez is an erratic striker of the ball compared to Coleman, but as mentioned previously, the latter’s “blow-out” against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last year still seems to be held against him.
Whoever wears the number 10 jersey on Saturday will face off with Sanchez, who is a brilliant goal-kicker and a clever tactician able to mix up his game with the boot and ball-in-hand.
Fleck names his starting line-up on Thursday, and it will be interesting to see what his loose trio looks like. Veteran Bok Schalk Burger is back from Japan for his last hurrah in Super Rugby before joining Saracens in the UK, and apart from being a strong captaincy candidate alongside prop Frans Malherbe and De Jongh, he will probably be the only definite starter among the loose forwards.
All of Siya Kolisi, Nizaam Carr, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Rynhardt Elstadt, Jurie van Vuuren and outstanding SA Under-20 blindside flank Jacques Vermeulen have to be accommodated with Burger, so perhaps Fleck will rotate them regularly to ensure freshness and fitness.
Saturday’s match kicks off at 4pm, with all tickets costing R50.
* Tickets for the Stormers’ Super Rugby opener against the Bulls at Newlands on February 27 will go on sale on Tuesday at 9am at Computicket and the box office at the stadium. Prices range from R50 for standing room to R150 for the grandstand seats.
Jaguares Squad:
Matias Alemanno, Felipe Arregui, Gabriel Ascarate, Rodrigo Baez, Cristian Bartolini, Gonzalo Bertranou, Emiliano Boffelli, Thomas Carrió, Santiago Cordero, Agustín Creevy, Jerónimo de la Fuente, Felipe Ezcurra, Santiago García Botta, Santiago González Iglesias, Ramiro Herrera, Santiago Iglesias Valdez, Facundo Isa, Martin Landajo, Ignacio Larrague, Thomas Lavanini, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, Thomas Lezana, Pablo Matera, Julian Montoya, Matías Moroni, Ramiro Moyano, Lucas Noguera, Matías Orlando, Javier Ortega Desio, Guido Petti, Nicolás Sánchez, Leonardo Senatore, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Joaquín Tuculet.
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