ARN Team of the Year 2015

On the whole it was a very positive year for teams in the Americas. Good showings at u20 level and on the sevens circuit especially put a number of sides into contention, and then there were some lesser lights such as Chile’s victory over Uruguay, who in turn finally defeated an Argentina XV after 64 years of trying. On the other end of the spectrum Honduras and Haiti each played test matches for the first time in their history. Mexico beat the Cayman Islands and a USA South selection to jump 10 spots on the World Rugby rankings, while Trinidad & Tobago went undefeated against Mexico, Barbados, and Guyana to move up 9 slots. Our big guns for the year, however, are below.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Placing third in the World Rugby Trophy might not seem a big deal to some, but for Uruguay u20 it was their best finish since winning it in 2008, a team that would contribute seven players to the 2015 World Cup squad. Victories over Portugal, favorites Fiji, and Tonga earned them a bronze and put a number of players in the shop window for European academy contracts. Second row Manuel Leindekar moved to Oyonnax, and 18-year-old scrumhalf Santiago Arata is on the watch list for several clubs. A loss to eventual champions Georgia in their opening match was the only blight on their record.

When it comes to achievement at any level, Canada’s Women’s 7s side are flying the Americas flag. They held the no2 spot in the world at the conclusion of the 2014-15 HSBC Sevens Series, ending the season at their strongest as runners-up in London and Cup champions for the first time ever in Amsterdam. Their placing earned them an automatic spot in the 2016 Olympics, and they celebrated with a gold medal at the Pan-Am Games in Toronto. Their first tournament of the new season was a bit rocky in Dubai, but their 6th place finish still leaves them well ahead of their closest Americas contenders, USA and Brazil.

An amazing tournament in London clinched the US Eagles 7s side a spot on this list, and they were right down to the wire when it came to picking a winner. Their 6th place finish on the log was their highest ever and a full seven spots higher than the season before. They really hit their stride to close the season with a Cup semi-final in Glasgow and their historic victory in London, the first Cup win for an Americas side since Argentina won at the 2009 San Diego tournament. They had no trouble defeating Canada at the NACRA Olympic qualifiers in June, and have started their 2015-16 season off in terrific form. The coming year looks like it could be even bigger.

THE WINNER

The biggest prize in rugby is the World Cup and while Los Pumas didn’t win, their second semi-final appearance in three tournaments was an exceptional achievement after heading into England ranked 8th in the world. Big wins over Georgia, Tonga, and Namibia in the pool stages were followed with a rousing performance against Ireland in the quarters. Their only losses were to their SANZAR rivals, and all three were highly competitive matches. Their biggest win of the year was the stunning defeat of South Africa in Durban, their first ever over the Rainbow Nation after managing only a draw in 19 previous matches. Argentina is our 2015 Team of the Year.