JOHANNESBURG - If the Lions can’t beat the Jaguares at home, than what chance do the Cheetahs have?
That’s the burning question ahead of Saturday’s round four Super Rugby match between the teams in Buenos Aires. And even though the home team are without their key playmaker and points machine, Nicolas Sanchez - who is banned for the game after committing a dangerous tackle against the Lions last week - the Jaguares are hot favourites to make it two from two at home.
Because while the Argentines will miss the creativity of Sanchez at flyhalf, the man stepping into the No 10 jersey is no slouch; it’s none other than Juan Martin Hernandez, the super experienced flyhalf who led his side to a World Cup semi-final in 2007.
The Jaguares will thus still play the fast-paced, ball-in-hand game that saw them sweep past the Lions last week so the Cheetahs can prepare themselves to make plenty of tackles. Also, the home team’s in-your-face style of rugby is something the visitors won’t be too familiar with.
On top of that, Cheetahs boss Franco Smith has, like Lions coach Johan Ackermann, opted to ring the changes to his starting team this week, handing starts to several fringe players. He’s taking a gamble, like Ackermann did, and if his team isn’t given a hiding it’ll be somewhat surprising.
Then again, the Cheetahs know they haven’t been given much chance of causing an upset and it is precisely at these times when they are at their most dangerous. With nothing to lose really Smith’s men may just pull off a victory.
Much will of course depend on how well their pack perform and here a player like the experienced lock Francois Uys will be crucial, but so too loose forwards Niell Jordaan, Oupa Mohoje and Henco Venter, who’ll not only be asked to make a number of tackles, but carry the ball strongly, too.
And then it’ll be up to captain for the day, scrumhalf Tian Meyer, and his No 10 Niel Marais to get the Cheetahs onto the front foot and into the right areas of the field. The only way the Cheetahs will come up trumps is if they’re able to put the pressure on the Jaguares and force them into making mistakes and turning ball over.
Jaguares:
Joaquí* Tuculet, Ramiro Moyano, Matías Orlando, Jerónimo de la Fuente, Santiago Cordero, Juan Martí* Hernández, Gonzalo Bertranou, Leonardo Senatore, Tomás Lezana, Pablo Matera, Matías Alemanno, Marcos Kremer, Felipe Arregui, Agustí* Creevy (capt), Santiago García Botta. Replacements: Juliá* Montoya, Lucas Noguera Paz, Ramiro Herrera, Marcos Kremer, Ignacio Larrague, Javier Ortega Desio, Felipe Ezcurra, Santiago González Iglesias, Bautista Ezcurra
Cheetahs:
Clayton Blommetjies, Rayno Benjamin, Michael van der Spuy, Clinton Swart, Ruan van Rensburg, Niel Marais, Tian Meyer (capt), Niell Jordaan, Oupa Mohoje, Henco Venter, Francois Uys, Armandt Koster, Tom Botha, Elandre Huggett, Danie Mienie. Replacements: Joseph Dweba, Charles Marais, Johan Coetzee, Carl Wegner, Paul Schoeman, William Small-Smith/Boom Prinsloo, Shaun Venter, Fred Zeilinga
Kick-off:
9.40pm
Referee:
Paul Williams
Super Rugby results:
Crusaders 33 Blues 24
Rebels 14 Chiefs 27
Bulls 34 Sunwolves 21