Hernandez lends class to Jaguares in home debut

By Rex Gowar BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Veteran centre Juan Martin Hernandez will provide the class and a packed Velez Sarsfield stadium will provide the passionate support when the Jaguares make their Super Rugby home debut against New Zealand’s Chiefs on Saturday (2140 GMT). The Argentine franchise has excited local rugby fans with their impressive start to the competition and will be eager to see them give the Chiefs, champions in 2012 and 2013, a good run for their money at the stadium nicknamed “Fortin” (small fort). The 18,000 seats put on sale for the stands along the sides of the Velez pitch sold out in a matter of hours. The terraces at both ends of the 1978 World Cup soccer stadium are being used for pre-kickoff and halftime entertainment. Hernandez and fellow 2007 World Cup veteran Juan Manuel Leguizamon bring experience to the young Jaguares side who came from behind to beat the Cheetahs 34-33 on their debut and lost 19-15 to Sharks when they began their campaign in South Africa. The 33-year-old Hernandez, nicknamed “Mago” (magician), missed out on Super Rugby during the year he spent with Sharks in 2009 and he had been unavailable for Jaguares after a knee injury in Argentina’s World Cup semi-final loss to Australia at Twickenham in October. Martin Gaitan, one of head coach Raul Perez’s assistants, underlined that the Jaguares can expect each round of the 18-team competition to get tougher rather than easier despite accumulating experience at a frenzied pace. “As the rounds go passing and the teams get tuned, the rugby we’re going to see will be more dynamic and with greater rhythm than we’re seeing now. One of our big challenges will be to adapt quickly,” Gaitan told the franchise website (www.jaguares.com.ar). Gaitan said the key was to be dominant at contact and that this was a far harder task at the rhythm played in Super Rugby. “That is the goal we must reach and what we’re working towards,” he said. Felipe Contepomi, another former Puma on the coaching staff, said the Jaguares faced the greatest number of air miles travelling in the competition which spans several continents and time zones. “The Chiefs are the most consistent and effective team who set the tone in this type of competition,” Contepomi said. “This is a difficult stage because we have five meetings with New Zealand teams, plus trips to Oceania and Japan. We are the franchise which has to make the most journeys, that’s wearing and with the passing of matches it will show.” (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)