AS IRISH RUGBY fans know all too well, Argentina played perhaps the second most attractive brand of rugby at the World Cup last year.
And with a new Super Rugby team to promote in this year’s expanded competition, it looks like the Jaguares aren’t about to let that hard won reputation slip away easily.
The new boys got off to the worst possible start against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, conceding four tries in the first 25 minutes while their Puma half-back pairing Martin Landajo and Nico Sanchez were in the bin.
What followed though, was classic Super Rugby with a South American twist. At 24 -3 down, club and country captain Augustin Creevy delivered a sublime back-handed offload to Landajo.
Creevy and Rodrigo Baez followed that up with tries before the Jaguares showed the full extent of their claws. Watch all the highlights below (in Spanish!) but just make sure you’re paying attention at the 2.50 mark when stuff gets real and Landajo gets his second try.
The 33 – 34 away win wasn’t all good news for Los Jags, lock Tomas Lavanini has been cited for striking William Small-Smith while he was in the act of scoring the Cheetahs’ fourth try in the corner.
All that excitement made the Chiefs’ win over Crusaders seem almost Six Nations-esque in comparison – there was even a hint of a scrap!
Japan’s new team the Sunwolves scored their first try thanks to Shota Horie, but Johannesburg’s Lions never really looked in danger.
In Australia this morning, the Rebels defeated the Force 25 – 19, but the grudge match between New South Wales and Queensland ended with a convincing Waratahs win.
This happy accident of a first touch from David Horwitz summed the day up for the Tahs’ 30 – 10 win.
Though to make the commanding lead possible, Kurtley Beale needed to unleash a powerful body shot to stop wing Chris Feauai-Sautia scoring.
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