Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
With Wales playing host to France this evening in Cardiff there are to be no Guinness Pro 12 matches today. This also saw the round get off to a premature start with a match taking place in Newport on Thursday evening. This round, like others, will be a range of players from the Americas receiving game time in one of rugby’s biggest professional competitions.
Week 16 got underway at Rodney Parade last night with the Glasgow Warriors completing an 18-15 away win over the Newport Gwent Dragons. Starting for the Scottish side was USA international Greg Peterson who played second-row. The 24 year old Eagles forward was yellow carded during the match.
In Galway on Saturday the competition leading Connacht will have a great opportunity to defeat Welsh heavy weights, the Ospreys. With the visitors missing many to international duty Connacht is well placed to win. Pulling the strings at fly half for the Irish province will be USA fly half AJ MacGinty. Canadian flier Jeff Hassler will start on the right wing for the Welsh region.
In the first of four Sunday fixtures Edinburgh are to host the Scarlets. Hassler’s wing colleague from the Rugby World Cup, DTH van der Merwe, will wear the number 11 shirt. An away win will further boost the Llanelli based region’s chances of an appearance in the play-offs. Edinburgh needs to improve if it is to play in the post season. The club’s home ground, Murrayfield, will host the Pro 12 Final.
The inconsistent Cardiff Blues will be out to win at home this Sunday when they take-on the best Pro 12 team in the Champions Cup this season, Ulster. Starting for the Welsh region will be USA Eagles utility outside-back Blaine Scully. The Californian will play right wing. Cam Dolan will not feature.
Benetton Treviso’s players will have their work cut out when they host Munster this weekend. The Italian city side remains bottom of the table and is missing a host of players to international duty. Munster has significantly more depth than does Treviso, thereby enabling the Irish province to adjust without international players. Involved from the Americas will be Robert Barbieri for the home side and Mario Sagario for the visitors.
A second Italy vs Ireland match-up will see Zebre taking-on Leinster in Parma. Proving the Italian scrum will be Argentine players Guillermo Roan and Bruno Postiglioni. With Zebre ahead of Benetton Treviso in the standings the team is on track to qualify for the 2015-2016 Champions Cup.
