42 Friday Sports Friday, June 21, 2019 Jaguares, Chiefs eye semi-finals place after early-season struggles BUENOS AIRES: The Argentine Jaguares host New Zealand. Between those two matches in the Waikato Chiefs from New Zealand today in Pretoria, the Chiefs flew to Argentina and a Super Rugby quarter-final pairing that edged the Jaguares 30-27 to avenge a home seemed unlikely as the regular season ap- defeat by the South Americans last season. proached halfway. Jaguares suffered four losses in their first six matches and the Chiefs fared Winning streak even worse, winning one match, drawing one With the Chiefs scoring 59 points and a vir- and losing four. tual Jaguares reserve side 52 in the final round Both teams then turned their seasons around of league play last weekend, the stage is set for against the Northern Bulls at a ground far from an intriguing quarter-final. Chiefs coach Colin their bases in Buenos Aires and Hamilton, 125 Cooper acknowledged that his team are on a kilometers south of Auckland. Twice champions three-match winning streak when he said: “We Chiefs were winless and desperate when they need to draw on the confidence gained from came to the Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria our past couple of games.” While demolishing — a venue where they were humiliated 61-17 the Melbourne Rebels was hugely satisfying, in the 2009 final. But three months ago there coming from 20 points behind to beat trophy- was no repeat of that embarrassing scoreline holders Canterbury Crusaders convincingly as the Chiefs scored seven tries in a 56-20 must have sent morale sky-rocketing. “We have romp that went a long way toward turning the had a good week over here and there is plenty season around. of energy in the team, especially from our lead- A couple of All Blacks figured prominently ers,” said Cooper. on the scoresheet with lock Brodie Retallick “The Jaguares are a quality side. They have bagging two tries and now-injured utility back performed well and we have the utmost respect BUENOS AIRES: In this file photo taken on June 14, 2019 Argentina’s Jaguares hooker Julian Damian McKenzie slotting 21 points. Jaguares for them. “We are no strangers to quarter-finals Montoya (front) runs to score a try against Japan’s Sunwolves during their Super Rugby arrived in Pretoria two weeks after the Chiefs rugby, we just need to stay focused and deliver match at Jose Amalfitani stadium. — AFP equally desperate for a win that would halt a a performance our fans are proud of.” Winger multi-season run of losses in South Africa. Emiliano Boffelli spoke of the motivation within While they were unable to dominate the Bulls the Jaguares camp ahead of a second straight tations.” But thoughts of a first semi-final ap- the Coastal Sharks of South Africa, who play like the Chiefs did, a 22-20 victory for the last-eight appearance having lost to the Golden pearance for the Buenos Aires outfit are not on tomorrow, in the semi-finals. In the other half tourists marked the start of a stunning turn- Lions in Johannesburg last season. “Great his mind: “We focus on this game (Chiefs) — of the draw, the Crusaders host the Otago around. That win was the first of nine in 10 being able to play a Super Rugby quarter- we face a great rival.” According to a Super Highlanders today in a New Zealand derby and matches since, including a 28-20 triumph over final,” he said. “We did it last year, but this time Rugby media release, the winners in Buenos the Hurricanes have home advantage over the former champions the Wellington Hurricanes in we are hosting the game. We have great expec- Aires meet the ACT Brumbies of Australia or Bulls tomorrow. — AFP gerous to play against,” he said. Highlanders coach Aaron Crusaders to unleash Maugher bristled at suggestions his side were lucky simply to Semenya to race make the finals, saying his players were itching to “have a crack” All Black magic in at their highly fancied neighbors. “We’ve had people sticking 800m for first the knife in but we’re confident with our game and where it’s quest for perfect 10 at,” he said. “The scoreboard is nil-all at the moment.” time since ban Brumbies ‘representing Australia’ Sharks coach Robert du Preez also took a potshot at critics WELLINGTON: The Canterbury Crusaders have named a full- after a last-gasp win over Western Stormers completed an un- PARIS: Caster Semenya will race in the 800m at the strength team for the first time this season as Super Rugby’s Stanford Diamond League on June 30 in her first outing convincing run to the finals, labeling sections of the media pace-setters take their quest for a third straight title, and 10th “cockroaches”. His team faces a Brumbies outfit on a six-match over the distance since she launched a legal battle in all, into the competition’s knockout phase. The defending against new rules targeting athletes with hyperandro- winning streak, bursting with confidence and out to give inspi- champions, packed with All Blacks stars, are overwhelming fa- rational captain Christian Lealiifano a victorious send-off. genism. The double Olympic champion was cleared to vorites to maintain a daunting home record and down South Is- compete in the event after Switzerland’s top court up- Cancer survivor Lealiifano, who revealed this week he is land rivals Otago Highlanders in the quarter-finals on Friday. off to Japan at the end of the season, has sparked talk among held her appeal against an IAAF ruling obliging women They have not lost a playoff in Christchurch since Super with higher than normal male hormone levels to artifi- the Brumbies’ faithful of the team recapturing the glory days Rugby launched in 1996 — a sequence of 21 matches — and are of the early 2000s. Coach Dan McKellar said the Brumbies cially lower their testosterone before competing in currently on a 27-game unbeaten run at home dating back to races at distances of 400m to the mile. were also playing for national pride as the sole Australian July 2016. The return of front-row forwards Owen Franks and “Caster’s representation requested that she be team to reach the finals. “There’s a sense that we’re repre- Codie Taylor will only shorten their odds, allowing the Crusaders moved from the 3,000 meters (where she was originally senting the country,” he said. “You get a bit sick of rugby to field the entire All Blacks’ tight five of Franks, Taylor, Joe entered) to the 800 meters and we are happy to com- getting beaten up in Australia for one reason or another. I’d Moody, Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock. ply,” Prefontaine Classic’s director Tom Jordan said in love for us to keep working hard and put some really positive In the other last eight match-ups, ACT Brumbies play Coastal a tweet on Tuesday. An initial appeal by Semenya was stories together.” struck down by the Court for Arbitration of Sport in Sharks, Wellington Hurricanes face Northern Bulls and Ar- The Brumbies beat the Sharks to win the 2001 title and have Lausanne, leading to her appeal to the country’s top gentina’s Jaguares host Waikato Chiefs. The Crusaders topped never lost a playoff to a South African side. The Hurricanes have court. Earlier this week the South African accused the the regular season ladder at a canter despite many of their nu- won the most matches of any team this season with 12 victories, IAAF of using her as a “human guinea pig” as they “ex- merous All Blacks being injured or rested for long periods. Sen- but did not meet the Bulls, who have troubled them in the past. periment with how the medication they required me to ior players such as Kieran Read and Whitelock have been The Hurricanes, who will be back to full strength after resting take would affect my testosterone levels.” The race on trickling back, with the return of Franks (torn shoulder) and Tay- several key players last week, have a 11-10 winning record over June 30 in the US will be her first race over 800m since lor (broken finger) finally giving the defending champions access the men from Pretoria. The last time they met was February winning gold at the Diamond League in Doha on May to all their stars at the sharp end of the season. 2018, when the Bulls edged a 21-19 victory at home. 4. This month’s meeting has been moved from its usual Franks said he was wary of the Highlanders, who scraped into The Jaguares will host a playoff match in Buenos Aires for the home in Eugene to California as the stadium in Oregon the last eight but have been boosted by the return of All Black first time after finishing second on the ladder in a standout sea- is being renovated for hosting the 2021 World Cham- fullback Ben Smith after more than a month out with a hamstring son, losing only one of their past 10 matches. However, they were pionships. — AFP injury. “A lot of people thought they might not be in there so defeated in their only two previous meetings at home against they’ve almost got that nothing-to-lose feel, which is pretty dan- the Chiefs. — AFP .