Los Jaguares name six new faces in Super Rugby squad

The Jaguares have named six newcomers in their 44-man squad for the 2017 Super Rugby season.

Among the new faces are backs Bautista Ezcurra and Santiago Alvarez, who played for the Pumas Sevens team at the Rio Olympics, and back-rower Benjamin Macome, who has returned home after playing for Bayonne in France.

The Argentine franchise also welcome back three players who were injured last year, missing several matches for the Pumas national team - forwards Tomas Lavanini and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and full-back Emiliano Boffelli.

The Jaguares compete in the Africa 2 conference with Southern Kings, Sharks and 2016 runners-up the Lions, and will be looking for a better second season after four wins and 11 defeats last year.

"Our immediate challenge is to be able to put on the pitch all the experience we had and accumulated in 2016," said coach Raul Perez.

"To take part again in the most important and demanding tournament in the world, with a season behind us, is already very different."

Perez added that improving the Jaguares' discipline was vital, starting with their first match against the Kings in Port Elizabeth on February 25, live on Sky Sports.

"I remember when we played the Kings in Port Elizabeth [last year], the indiscipline we had cost us the match. I think that's our challenge," Perez said. Jaguares had crushed the Kings 73-27 in Buenos Aires four weeks earlier.

Veteran back Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino has been dropped, having also been overlooked for the Pumas' November test tour of Japan and Europe.