Chile defeat Northern Selection in Americas Rugby Championship Warm-up

Los Condores’ preparation for upcoming international competition saw the number four ranked South American nation playing a friendly on Wednesday evening in the northern city of Antofagasta. Chile defeated a Northern Selection in an Americas Rugby Championship Warm-up fixture 38-17.

The composite Northern Selection (Selección Norte) gave Los Condores a competitive evening, holding the test side to a 14-12 scoreline at the interval. An improved second half saw Chile run out comfortable winners to give the coaching staff new found confidence to work on advancements ahead of the Americas Rugby Championship opener against Brazil at a yet to be announced home venue on February 06.

Los Condores were playing together for the first time since the resignation of Australian Paul Healy as Head Coach. Healy’s departure has seen the trio of Elías Santillán, Sebastián Gajardo and Bernando García now being in charge and they have three weeks to name and prepare a roster for the trip to western Canada.

The teams are to meet again on Saturday in the second of two such fixtures. Changes are expected for the return match as Santillán, Gajardo and García have some 32 players in the squad currently in Antofagasta. Their squad features a mixture of experienced and new players with Manuel Gurruchaga, Ignacio Álvarez and Francisco Hurtado being notable returnees.

Newcomers to the roster include PWCC hooker Rodrigo Moya and center Diego Vega as well as Los Troncos prop Orlando Espinoza.

Chile
Iñaki Gurruchaga – Old Johns
Hernán Amigo – U. Católica
Nicolás Venegas – Stade Francais
Claudio Zamorano – Stade Francais
Manuel Gurruchaga – COBS
Felipe Burgos – Los Troncos
Tomás Dussaillaint – Old Boys
Rodrigo Moya – PWCC
Sebastián Parra – U. Católica
Roberto Oyarzún – Old Navy
Orlando Espinoza – Los Troncos
Luis Sepúlveda – Los Troncos
José Tomás Munita – U. Católica€
Ignacio Álvarez – COBS
Felipe Bassaletti – Los Troncos
Augusto Sarmiento – PWCC
Raimundo Piwonka – PWCC
Cristóbal Niedmann – PWCC
Benjamín Soto – Stade Francais
Francisco Hurtado – Old Georgeans
Ignacio Silva – Stade Francais
Javier Richard – COBS
Nikola Bursic – COBS
Beltrán Vergara – Old Boys
Juan Pablo Perrotta – U. Católica
Matías Contreras – Alumni
Italo Zunino – COBS
Diego Vega – PWCC
José Ignacio Larenas – U. Católica
Matías Nordenflicht – COBS
Pablo Casas – PWCC
Humberto Chacaltana – U.Católica

SELECCIÓN DEL NORTE
Eduardo Díaz – Coyotes
Javier Gaete – Old Lions
Alejandro Castillo – Old Lions
Mauro Pancerón – Anta Pacay
Mauricio Gómez – Old Lions
Tomás Rearte – Coyotes
Felipe Bravo – Coyotes
Jaime Ramos – Old Lions
José Sanhueza – Old Lions
Víctor Fuentes – Old Lions
Fabián Céspedes – Arua
Diego Tapia – Coyotes
Felipe Carvacho – Old Lions
Abiel Riquelme – Llaretas
Franco Barriga – Llaretas
Tomas Orchard – Old Lions
Felipe Aravena – Llaretas
Hugo Zeballos – Coyotes
Sergio Herrera – Old Lions
Aldo Cornejo – Anta Pacay
Fernando González – Arua
Ignacio Islas – Coyotes
Jorge Castillo – Arua
Claudio Muñoz
Alejandro González – Llaretas
Rodrigo Callejas – Llaretas
Pablo Peric – Old Lions
Ioannis Stavros – Old Lions
Jean López – Arua
Gonzalo Torres – Old Lions
José Avendaño – Cuervos