Jaguars coach Raul Pérez is under no illusion of the expectations of his squad ahead of their Vodacom Super Rugby debut.

The Argentinian squad was officially unveiled in December, along with their name and logo, boasting a large contingent of Argentina internationals. 

‘We've been anxious to get started,’ Pérez commented. ‘We're with a group that know each other well, who’ve been working together for two years. At the beginning of any process there's a lot of expectation, especially when you think about the size of the tournament and how joining Super Rugby has given us the level of competition we wanted. The players ended last year on a real high, so there's also a lot of expectation [on them to perform].'

The side are well into their training program ahead of their first match against the Cheetahs on 26 February. Pérez said the initial focus is to build up the squad’s physical fitness before working on their structures and game plans.

‘There will be a lot of physical work, but not without working on in-game situations so that when it comes down to it the players are ready for anything. Then we'll have more of a chance to work together on our structures in attack and defence.’