Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
This weekend will see a number of Americas players taking to the field in the Premiership. It is to be Week 9 of the English domestic competition but it will not be a full round due to Bath traveling to France to face Toulon in a postponed European Champions Cup fixture.
Bath were to host the Sale Sharks on Friday in the only fixture of the day. As such round 9 will not get underway until Saturday when three matches will be played while the remaining two will take place on Sunday afternoon.
The second placed Exeter Chiefs host the 6th placed Gloucester in the opening match of the round. The west country battle will feature Mariano Galarza who has been named as a replacement for the Cherry and whites. He recently stated that he could yet play for Argentina despite playing in a competition other than Super Rugby.
His World Cup teammate Marcelo Bosch will start at inside center for Saracens who face London rivals the Harlequins at the Stoop on Saturday. Bosch will be joined by a North American as the young and highly promising Titi Lamositele will feature on the bench.
Starting for the Leicester Tigers against the Northampton Saints will be Marcos Ayerza. The veteran of three Rugby World Cups will run-on at loosehead prop in front of a record Welford Road crowd. While the new stand is not yet completed it is at a stage in which the capacity of the ground has goner up from 24,000 to 25,800.
Arguably the feature match this weekend is the basement battle between London Irish and the Newcastle Falcons. The teams have only one win apiece thus far in the Aviva Premiership and urgently require competition points at the expense of the other so to stay off bottom of the table and thereby stay out of the relegation zone.
Canadians Jebb Sinclair and Ciaran Hearn are both going to start for the home side with Hearn continuing at outside center while Sinclair will play in his World Cup position of second-row. Starting for the Falcons will be Puma Juan Pablo Socino while both Belisario Agulla and Todd Clever will cover from the bench.
Added interest now lies on Clever following the change of coach with Mike Tolkin no longer in charge. Speculation has already begun as to the possible return of Clever to the Eagles and, indeed, whether Chris Wyles will be retained as captain.
The final match between the Wasps and the Worcester Warriors in Coventry will be the only one without players from the Americas.
