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Lions brace for 'dangerous' Jaguares

Johannesburg - The Lions host the Jaguares in the Super Rugby quarter-finals this weekend knowing that they are up against a dangerous side.

The Jaguares have been one of the major surprise packages of the tournament, making the playoffs for the first time in their short history. 

The end of their regular season, though, did not go according to plan and losses in South Africa to the Bulls and then the Sharks meant that the Argentines lost out in their push to finish top of the South African Conference. 

That honour went to the Lions, despite a poor season so far by their normally high standards. 

"We have a good record against them at home, but they will bring a totally different challenge to what the Bulls brought, and we'll have to be very prepared," Lions coach Swys de Bruin said after his side's 38-12 win against the Bulls on Saturday.

"The challenge for them is that they are on the third week of their tour, but they travel more than most of the other teams in the competition, so they are used to it."

Lions captain Warren Whiteley, meanwhile, has seen enough over the years to know what makes the Jaguares a threat.

"They're a very dangerous side and they can win away from home, so it won't faze them playing away from home," said Whiteley.

"When they get front-foot ball with (Nicolas) Sanchez and their pack operating, then they are extremely dangerous.

"They like to play those little tap-on passes and play off 10.

"We're going to have to dominate the set piece and starve them of possession. They can also make a breakdown extremely messy."

 

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