Chile travel to Argentina with Five New Players

Five new players have joined Los Cóndores as they cross the Andes into San Juan to face the Argentina XV in round two of the Americas Rugby Championship on Saturday. The Chileans edged out a scrappy Brazil 25-22 in their opening fixture last weekend, while Argentina fought to a draw against the US Eagles.

Props Felipe Burgos, Iñaki Garruchaga, and Nicolás Venegas are added to the group with last week’s starting pair Ramón Ayarza and Sergio de la Fuente unavailable. Second rows Matías Cabrera and Ignacio Álvarez – the latter did not appear against Brazil – are also out, with Felipe Bassaletti called instead. The only change to the backs sees scrumhalf Matthieu Manas selected in place of Juan Pablo Perrotta.

Chile have never defeated an Argentina XV in nearly 80 years of trying, their first meeting coming in 1936. Their closest result was a two-point loss at Montevideo in 2000, one of only three times the deficit has been in single figures. The match will be played at the Estadio Bicententario and will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with kickoff slated for 6pm local, 4pm EST.

FORWARDS
Felipe Burgos (Los Troncos), Iñaki Garruchaga (Old Johns), José Tomás Munita (Universidad Católica), Luis Sepúlveda (Los Troncos), Nicolás Venegas (Stade Francais), Claudio Zamorano (Stade Francais), Tomás Dusaillant (Old Boys), Rodrigo Moya (P.W.C.C.), Felipe Bassaletti (Paraná Rowing Club), Nikola Bursic (C.O.B.S.), Raimundo Piwonka (P.W.C.C.), Cristobal Niedmann (P.W.C.C.), Javier Richard (C.O.B.S.), Ignacio Silva (Stade Francais), Benjamín Soto (capt., Stade Francais)

BACKS
Matthieu Manas (Stade Francais), Beltrán Vergara (Old Boys), Cristián Onetto (C.O.B.S.), Francisco de la Fuente (Bagnères, FR), Jose Ignacio Larenas (Universidad Católica), Matías Nordenflycht (C.O.B.S.), Matías Contreras (Alumni), Leonardo Montoya (Rouen, FR), Ítalo Zunino (C.O.B.S.), Pablo Casas (P.W.C.C.), Humberto Chacaltana (Universidad Católica)