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Cape Town - The Jaguares’ poor run in Super Rugby will not affect Argentina’s performance in the Rugby Championship.
That is the view of Springbok assistant coach Franco Smith, who was speaking at a press conference in Port Elizabeth ahead of Saturday’s Test at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The Jaguares were disappointing in Super Rugby, winning only seven of 15 games to finish second from bottom in the Africa 2 Conference.
Their discipline also let them down as they conceded more penalties than any other team in the competition, while also receiving the second-most yellow cards.
The Argentine Test side is close to the same outfit that played as the Jaguares in Super Rugby, but Smith does not expect them to perform in the same manner during the Rugby Championship.
"They will bring something very different to what we saw from them in Super Rugby and we are expecting that," Smith was quoted as saying on the KweséESPN website.
"Since the last round of Super Rugby they will have been focusing just on these next two matches (next week in Salta). They would also have had the opportunity to have at least one or two weeks' rest before starting the build-up.
"One of the big differences is that instead of looking forward to a competition that lasts over several months, they are now preparing for a competition that features just six games."
Both coaches will name their line-ups on Thursday.
