Jaguares on the cusp of something big
On the back of the Jaguares’ successful tour to Australasia, the Argentina-based team is on track to make their first appearance in the Super Rugby finals since the team’s formation in 2016. The Jaguares are in fact the first team in the history of the competition to whitewash their Australasian opponents and their four wins from four have skyrocketed the team up the table to compensate for some of their earlier losses in 2018.
Since the Jaguares joined the competition their results have been somewhat underwhelming. Even the most diehard Argentinian fans would have found little to be positive about in the 11 wins the Jaguares notched up in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, especially when you consider that the team is effectively the national team of Argentina in all but name.
Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, it certainly looks like the Jaguares are finally starting to show some of that potential they’ve been promising since the men in orange were welcomed into the competition.
Unfortunately, however, it looks like their success could be curtailed in the future. Recent rumours have suggested that the Argentina national team could be reassessing their eligibility policy. As it stands now, unless you’re playing in Super Rugby, you’re ineligible to represent the Pumas – but it looks like the sheer number of potential Puma players relocating to Europe is forcing the Unión Argentina de Rugby’s hand.
The current policy was put in place to ensure that the Jaguares were competitive in their first few years of the competition – without incentivising returning home, a number of star internationals would remain playing for their European clubs. Instead of benefiting the Jaguares, however, it seems that the Pumas have simply been hindered by the lack of options available to them.
Having only one feeder team has resulted in very few players being developed for Argentina, which is hardly surprising, and has lead to an abysmal 6 wins in their 25 games played since 2016. If UAR are considering changing their eligibility policy, you can look no further than this terrible win rate as justification.
And while the Pumas’ lack of success has been problematic in recent seasons and could arguably be fixed by allowing the numerous Euro-based Argentines to represent their country, lessening the eligibility requirements could have disastrous effects on the Jaguares.
Whilst their strict eligibility requirements haven’t kept all of the Pumas players in Argentina, it has no doubt helped retain some of Jaguares’ most important players. In the Jaguares’ inaugural season, 23 of the 32 players used by the Pumas in the 2015 Rugby World Cup were included in the squad – a figure which would certainly have been significantly lower had players been able to continue to be selected for the national team without playing for the Jaguares.
If the rumours are true and Argentina are able to start selecting players from all over the world, you can expect to see a massive drop in the number of top tier Pumas representing the Jaguares. The money available in the European competitions trumps that which the UAR can offer its players and inevitably the flood gates will open.
Of course, the long-term strength of Argentina could be amplified due to an eligibility change. If the Jaguares act as a development team for the Pumas then the pool of strong players available will broaden – but it’s unlikely this argument will appeal to SANZAAR, who are already coming under fire due to the supposed lack of competition in Super Rugby at present.
At a time when new broadcast deals are under negotiation and the future competition structure is being hotly debated, Argentina can simply not afford to start fielding a weakened Jaguares team. Whilst it’s unlikely the Jaguares will lose their place in the competition, the last thing Super Rugby needs is even more uncompetitive teams.
With only five games left in the regular season, the Jaguares are in the position where they could cement themselves a spot in the Super Rugby finals for the first time – and what an incredible achievement that will be. Any gloss will be lost, however, if we learn that Argentina’s only Super Rugby franchise are going to be crippled in the coming years. The Jaguares are certainly on the cusp
of something big – but whether that’s great success or great failure remains to be seen.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments