Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
A number of players from the Americas will take to the field in week 16 of the Premiership this weekend. The round will have a special appeal as, for the first time in history, a match will be played outside of England. That fixture will be played in New Jersey.
Opening week 16 of the Premiership will be a match in London between Harlequins and Bath. With neither club having a strong season, by their standards, all points on offer need to be taken. A failure to do so will prevent them from playing in the European Champions Cup next season. Starting in the match on Friday will be returned Puma Horacio Agulla.
An all-Midlands derby will begin Saturday with the Wasps hosting the Leicester Tigers in Coventry. Starting at loosehead prop for the visitors will be Marcos Ayerza. Despite the UAR declaring that European-based players will not be considered for international duty Americas Rugby News has been told that the Buenos Aires veteran may yet play for Argentina this year.
Another Puma whose name has been linked to international duty this year is Mariano Galarza. The Pumas second-rower will feature from the bench for Gloucester who play away to his former club, the Worcester Warriors on Saturday.
The high-flying Exeter Chiefs will be expected to recover from their loss last weekend in Leicester when they host the Newcastle Falcons at Sandy Park on Saturday. Starting at inside center for the visitors will be Juan Pablo Socino. His teammates Todd Clever, Eric Fry, Belisario Agulla and Gonzalo Tiesi are all to miss out. Of them Clever has been linked to a return to California to play PRO Rugby for San Diego.
The match set to attract the greatest attention is London Irish vs Saracens. Taking place at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, all three of Argentina, Canada and the USA will have players involved. Ciaran Hearn will start again at outside center for London Irish though Jebb Sinclair will not feature. Starting opposite Hearn will be Marcelo Bosch while Juan Figallo will start at tighthead prop. USA veterans Chris Wyles and Hayden Smith will start on the left wing and at second-row respectively.
