Super Rugby: Jaguares down Cheetahs in Boemfontein debut
Last Updated: 02/03/16 1:24pm
The Jaguares got off to a winning start in Super Rugby with a 34-33 win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
The Argentinian side made the winning start despite trailing by 21 points and playing 10 minutes with 13 players.
The visitors fell foul of the referee in the opening stages. First Nicholas Sanchez was shown a yellow card for cynical play that led to a penalty try, before he was joined in the sin bin by half-back partner Martin Landajo for foul play.
The Cheetahs scored freely during the period, piling on the misery by amassing a 24-3 lead. Fielding many stars who helped Argentina finish fourth at the 2015 World Cup, Jaguares fought back to recover from the disastrous opening quarter at the Free State Stadium to trail 24-17 at half-time.
Scrum-half Landajo, whose father played at the same ground for a South American selection 34 years ago, then scored the decisive fourth Argentine try 15 minutes from time.
A long clearing kick by the Cheetahs was run back by two Jaguares, who evaded numerous tackles before setting up Landajo to dot down beside the posts.
Fly-half Nicolas Sanchez, the leading points scorer at the last World Cup, converted and dropped a goal to give the newcomers a four-point advantage.
All the Cheetahs could manage in reply was a penalty from replacement fly-half Niel Marais and the game ended when the hosts were penalised inside their half.
"We played with a lot of heart when down to 13 men," said winning skipper and hooker Agustin Creevy, referring to the 18th-minute sin binnings of half-backs Sanchez and Landajo.
"The Cheetahs surprised us with their power at the scrums and that is an area we must improve before facing the Sharks in Durban next weekend.
"Making our Super Rugby debut was both an incredible experience and very enjoyable."
Despondent Cheetahs captain and centre Francois Venter said: "We have got to become more clinical and stop losing matches by narrow margins."
While the Cheetahs exceeded their scrum expectations, the Jaguares were combative in the loose against opponents fielding the new South African Rugby Player of the Year, Springbok lock Lood de Jager.
Landajo twice, Creevy and flanker Rodrigo Baez were try scorers for Jaguares. Sanchez converted all four and kicked a penalty and a drop goal for a 14-point personal total.
Venter, Namibia hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld and centre William Small-Smith claimed a try each for Cheetahs, who were also awarded a penalty try.
Fly-half Fred Zeilinga slotted two conversions and two penalties, but fluffed four attempts at goal, while Marais succeeded with his lone kick.