Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
With the competition heading into the final stages of pool play it is time for clubs to knuckle-down and collect all the competition points available to them. Of the twenty clubs playing all have something to play for ranging from a place in the final eight to mere pride. The Americas will have players involved this weekend in week 5 of the Champions Cup.
Opening up round five will be a match in Swansea, Wales with the Ospreys playing host to Clermont Auvergne. The Welsh region must win the match against the Pool 2 leaders or face the prospect of winning away against Exeter in round 6. Canadians Jamie Cudmore (neck), Tyler Ardron (knee) and Jeff Hassler (thigh) are all to miss the game through injury. Patricio Fernández misses out for Clermont for the fit-again Brock James.
It is only pride on the line for former champions Munster who host Stade Français on Saturday. The Irish province was eliminated last weekend by the Parisians who won comfortably despite playing half the match with fourteen men. Uruguay Mario Sagario will start for Munster at tighthead prop while Lucas González Amorosino will feature from the bench.
Former Pumas tighthead prop Francisco Goméz Kodela is to start in his favored position for Bordeaux Begles’ home match against the Exeter Chiefs on Saturday. Neither side can realistically afford to lose the match as Clermont and the Ospreys occupy first and second place of the pool.
The undefeated Saracens will play host to Northern Irish province Ulster on Saturday. Having completed a miracle comeback win over Oyonnax last weekend Ulster enter the fixture in a strong position to topple the pool 1 leaders. Chris Wyles and Marcelo Bosch will start in the backs for Saracens . Prop Juan Figallo has been named on the bench for Saracens while the Eagles eligible Callum Black is to be an Ulster replacement.
Pool 1’s second fixture this weekend will be the all-French match between Oyonnax and Toulouse. With neither team realistically having a chance of making the play-offs both are experimenting. On the bench for the visitors will be former Puma Patricio Albacete.
An ideal opportunity for the Leicester Tigers to claim the maximum five competition points awaits the East Midlands side on Saturday. Visiting Welford Road will be the competition’s bottom sees, Benetton Treviso. Marcos Ayerza will feature for the Tigers as a replacement while the Italian capped Canadian Robert Barbieri will start in the Treviso back-row.
Sunday’s openning fixture will see Juan Imhoff starting on the left wing for Racing 92 who play host to, the already eliminated, Scarlets. Wearing Imhoff’s number for the visiting Welsh region will be DTH van der Merwe. Meanwhile Manuel Carriza retains his starting spot in the Racing 92 second-row.
