[2017 Super Rugby] Round 9: Lions vs. Jaguares (21/04/2017)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: Emirates Airlines Park
Time: 19:00 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

Teams

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Ruan Ackermann, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Moster, 4 Andries Fourie, 3 Johannes Jonker, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Corne Fourie

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Jacques Nel, 23 Sylvian Mahuza

Jaguares: 15 Ramiro Moyano, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 11 Bautista Ezcurra, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 8 Benjamin Macome, 7 Rodrigo Baez, 6 Tomas Lezana, 5 Marcos Kremer, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy (captain), 1 Lucas Noguera Paz

Substitutes: 16 Roberto Tejerizo, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Ignacio Larrague, 20 Pablo Matera, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, 23 Emiliano Boffelli

 

[FNS]

Thanks TRF as usual! as for the game i dont see here anything but a loss for jags. If we are lucky BP. I would rest all starters.

 

[SomeOke]

Unfortunately if the Jaguares want to make the play-offs they have to win some games away from home current their win loss records are:
1/3- A
3/0 - H
With their one away win against the Kings.

You need roughly 10 wins in the competition to make the play-offs, which means if you need to win all 8 of your home games (which is a extremely tough ask) and then win 2 away from home. Realistically the Jags needed to win one of the games against the Bulls or the Sharks.

It's hard for me to imagine the Jags beating the Lions, I just don't see an area where the Jags would have the edge.

That said looking at their fixtures it's completely conceivable that they win every game from now on wards, the battle for the third South African conference spot is going to be interesting! The Sharks really can't afford to drop any games either, and their fixtures look a lot tougher.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Bias aside, if the lions show up with their best XV, they should tear us a new one.

The ONLY scenario where i see us winning is quite far fetched and involves a lot of assumptions. If the Lions believe they can't get the 1st spot AND they believe that their schedule going forward is easier than the Stormers' one AND they are happy with qualifying #2 (overall, not RSA 2), then maybe they will show up with a B team. If that happens AND if we have a good day AND they have a bad one, we have a 50-50 chance of winning.

My friends call me the optimist.

Then again, my predictions have been as accurate as a builder/contractor's estimate so the **** knows.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Matera out.

 

[FNS]

I dont like the 1st row at all. Also both 12/13 are just occupying space. They cant break a kit kat.

 

[Bruno_ARG]

When did argentine rugby stop producing quality props? It's a shame that Pumas/Jags scrum is what it is today. Besides, Creevy can only play 50/60 minutes and his replacements are not SR material at all. Starting second row and back row are fine and I personally believe they are perfoming quite nicely in comparison with the rest of the team. The starting backs are ok I guess except for the centers, who sadly are the best we've got actually.

 

[FNS]

Several things here:

We miss Tetaz(injury). Montoya(injury) as Crevy sub. Lavanini and we lost ISA.

We are stuck with penalty machine "Herrera" and the rest are young(need edvelopment). Also while highly mobile Petti at 2nd row with 105kg yikes! Lavanini was 125kg bigbig difference. Alemano almost 115kg.

Imposible to play when you cant restart the game properly.

 

[galumay]

Lions will run away with this one, they look to be the only non NZ side that will deservedly make the finals and they will punish the poor old Argies.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

No Tuculet, but playing Sanchez and Cordero? I don't fully understand. Will be interesting to see how the fullback does. The Lions are far from top gear so far but can probably bully this one up front and win fairly comfortably.

 

[Jaguares]

Lions by 15

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

We are doing quite well, which on one hand makes me happy but on the other it infuriates me. Where was this attitude against the bulls ffs

 

[Jaguares]

What a try by Petti!!!!!

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

My friends call me the optimist.

Then again, my predictions have been as accurate as a builder/contractor's estimate so the **** knows.

Heh!

 

[FNS]

Bertranou ****ing moron! Again they got me to get exited and i just cant believe it.

 

[marianodan]

Good grief....


Nunca vamos a ganar un partido chivo.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

The Jaguares messed up on this tour I think. They should have picked one match to put a full strength side out on and another to rest. Instead they rotated in their last two games. I don't see the Lions competing in the post season without Faf at 9 and with JvR out for three months. I think last year will be their high watermark as they were playing far better then.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

I agree with Bruce and i'm pretty sure most Jaguares fans would do too. We should have put our very best vs the Bulls and rest vs the Lions.

 

[Nubiwan]

A word on attendance here.....

Didn't the Lions make the final last year? I am still debating watching this match to see how the Jaguares did, but not sure if there is much point since only abut 30 people in Jo'Burg bothered to go see it live. My guess is there are more people registered on this forum than at that match. I've seen more people at Hurricanes games. Home of the numerous Yellow seats.

Who sponsors this league? With that sort of lack of interest. they won't be for long........

Outside of the NZ matches, very sparse attendance at many of the matches.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Good grief....


Nunca vamos a ganar un partido chivo.

+10000

The thought games end up, consistently, in one of these three scenarios:
1) We are outmatched throughout the entire game.
2) We get a good start get a decent (say 7-10 point) lead but cant hold to it.
3) We have a bad start but can't catch up.

I can live with 1), but 2) and 3) happen a LOT and it speaks volumes of our mental game and coaching staff. Number 2) is the one that worries me the most. It's either we have no depth or no conditioning.
Both cases are simply unaceptable as

- unlike all the teams, we (and SWs) are putting all of our eggs in one basket, so we should be able to have enough depth to compete. Not to win, but to compete.
- at this level, i refuse to believe that a player in some teams are consistently better trained (in terms of stamina) than others. This ain't rocket science, i was taught this by a half witted coach when i was 10 years old, no joke.