Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

UP

Jamie Cudmore
A superb performance in the engine from from Jamie Cudmore contributed heavily to Clermont Auvergne getting back on track in the European Rugby Champions Cup. The Canadian was a reliable target in the lineout and organized the forwards very well, particularly in mauls. The Central French side won 42-10 against the Exeter Chiefs. Argentina’s Patricio Fernández played the final 10 minutes.

Los Jaguares
The new and expanded Super Rugby competition will feature three new teams – Southern Kings, Sunwolves, and Los Jaguares. Of them the Argentine side is well ahead in preparations. This past weeks announcement was highly successful as the team was officially launched. Included were the logo, roster, captain, coaching staff, website, home venue and complete fixtures. 20 years after rugby went professional Argentina is, at last, joining in.

Americas Rugby Championship
The eagerly awaited Americas Rugby Championship will have no overlap in matches. The kick-off times showcase matches being played at friendly viewing hours throughout the Americas. Matches will be played at different times, thereby enabling fans to tune-in for all games and gain a greater appreciation of all teams involved. Overtime the tournament will be certain to make the region very cohesive.

Rio de Janeiro Beach Rugby
Saturday’s Beach Rugby show-piece event at Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema Beach saw the city continue preparations for the hosting of Rio 2016. Efforts are being made to expand the public’s knowledge of the sport and to also growth the national player base. It is hoped that the Rugby Sevens event will succeed in alluring supporters to the venue for the Olympic Games. Those involved certainly are working very hard to do so. Argentina’s men’s team and Brazil’s women’s side won the respective tournaments on Saturday at Ipanema.

Felipe Berchesi
Eight points from the boot of the Uruguayan fly half saw Carcassonne defeat Mont de Marsan at home in a Pro d2 match this weekend. The result sees the club rising to 10th in the standings, a considerable improvement from where the club was before Berchesi arrived following World Cup duty. Former Puma Agustín Figuerola scored for the table-topping Lyon this weekend. His club look safe bets to win automatic promotion to the Top 14.

Belisario Agulla
Former Pumas winger Belisario Agulla was on the scoresheet on Sunday afternoon as the Newcastle Falcons defeated Connacht in the European Challenge Cup. Also involved were Shane O’Leary and Juan Pablo Socino. In beating the top-placed Connacht, Agulla’s team could yet reach the playoffs. This is the case despite already having lost two matches. Mariano Galarza’s Gloucester are another English side in contention having won again on Thursday.

Gonzalo Quesada
Former Puma Gonzalo Quesada coached Stade Français to back-to-back bonus point wins over the past two weekends in the European Rugby Champions Cup. The Parisians gained 10 competition points to be second in Pool 4 and well placed with a game in hand. The record point scorer from Rugby World Cup 1999 has already coached the club to the French title and could yet make history by coaching the team to European glory.

UNDER

Federación de Rugby de Chile – FERUCHI
The resignation of Head Coach Paul Healy underlined the deep-rooted problems facing Chilean rugby. His letter of resignation highlighted a flawed working environment and a lack of progress in regards to addressing what is holding back Chile from catching-up to Uruguay. Earlier in the year flyhalf Francisco González Moller was critical of FERUCHI declaring that the ”administration is on the wrong path”. Now just 47 days out from the inaugural Americas Rugby Championship Chile must find a new coach and win the players trust.

Forgetful Games in Northampton and Llanelli
Americas wingers Juan Imhoff and DTH van der Merwe started in tryless European Rugby Championship matches this weekend. Imhoff’s Racing 92 drew 9-9 away to Northampton while van der Merwe’s Scarlets lost 9-6 at home against his former club, the Glasgow Warriors. A low turn-out of 5,767 adds to the Scarlets concerns with the Welsh region out of the running for the play-offs.

Javier Rojas
A narrow 15-13 away loss sees Albi remaining outside of the play-offs zone in the Pro d2. It is not good news for the young Javier Rojas who left Argentina to play for the south-western French side. Having been a part of Daniel Hourcade’s roster in 2014 and an important Rugby Sevens player the center looks unlikely to play in the Olympic Games despite having been certain to a year ago.

PRO Rugby Cities
Confirmed as having teams in PRO Rugby are the Californian cities of Sacramento and San Francisco with the four remaining locations yet to be named. That leaves four to be confirmed and it has been this way for the past 31 days. The new competition will be kicking-off in April, meaning the clock is ticking. Progress has, nonetheless, been made with the league now having a website.

Canada and Crowley
Fewer people have called for Kieran Crowley to stay-on as Head Coach of the Canadian men’s team with many, instead, calling for him to be replaced before the end of the year. Rugby Canada, though, are set to extend his term for an additional two years. Canada’s appalling run of results, including a first-ever whitewash at the World Cup, has done a lot more than test the patience of the Canadian rugby public.