South Americans make history and see off the Chiefs
Argentina’s Jaguares scored a try in the opening minute but still had to rally to beat the Chiefs 21-16 in their Super Rugby quarter-final on Saturday, reaching the tournament semifinals for the first time.
Pablo Matera crashed over the line less than a minute from the kickoff to give the Jaguares a 5-0 lead. But they fell behind 16-8 early in the second half before a try to winger Matias Moroni and two penalties to first five Joaquin Diaz Bonilla allowed them to regain the lead and extend a record-breaking season.
The Jaguares topped the South African conference with an 11-5 record in the regular season to win a home quarter-final for the first time in their four-year history. They will now host a semifinal against the Brumbies, winners of Saturday’s last quarter-final in Canberra against the Sharks.
The Jaguares looked strong early, buoyed by Matera’s try and cheered on by a large home crowd. But the Chiefs overcame a tough travel schedule to take the upper hand on either side of halftime.
A converted try to flanker Lachlan Boshier and penalty to Jack Debreczeni gave the Chiefs a 10-8 lead at the break and they extended that with penalties to Debreczeni and his replacement Marty McKenzie in the first seven minutes of the second half.
But handling errors and a loss of discipline by the Chiefs allowed the Jaguares to fight their way back into the match. A 52nd-minute try to Moroni brought them within a point of the Chiefs and two penalties to Diaz Bonilla carried them to a five-point lead in the 60th minute.
That slim lead made the last 20 minutes of the match nail-biting for Jaguares fans as their team chased an historic achievement. The Jaguares were out-muscled at scrums but produced a superb, unified defensive performance to protect their line.
The Chiefs attacked relentlessly around the 70th minute before another handling error cost them the chance of a try and a lead. Their last chance came with a penalty near their own goal line in the final minute but they were unable to force their way out of their 22 in the face of stiff Jaguares defence.
On Friday, a powerful forward display and flawless performance by first five Richie Mo’unga lifted the Crusaders to a 38-14 win over their South Island neighbours the Highlanders.
Mo’unga scored a try in each half and kicked five goals from five attempts as the Crusaders moved a step closer to their third-straight Super Rugby title.
The Crusaders will host the Hurricanes in an all-New Zealand semifinal on Saturday.