Top 10 Amateur ARC Prospects

One of the best features of the Americas Rugby Championship was the exposure of some of the top up and coming talents in the Americas. Every team featured uncapped players at some point, some more so than others, and in doing so we got a glimpse of some of the players who will be prominent in match reports over the next World Cup cycle and beyond. With Argentina in particular treating this as a development tournament there was a plethora of new talent to comb through, so we opted to restrict our choices to those 21 years and under.

We also overlooked players who have already been ‘discovered’ by professional academies, in doing so leaving out the likes of Djustice Sears-Duru (Leicester), Hanco Germishuys (Gloucester), and the Sancery twins (Albi). Their potential is obvious. For this list we preferred those of fully amateur status, players who have reached the pinnacle of their domestic programs and are ready to take their talents to the next level with long international careers ahead.

Below are 10 of our favorite ‘blue chip’ talents who are leading the next generation of Americas hopefuls. Which one will be the next to become a global star?

Germán Kessler – Hooker – Uruguay

A bit different than the others considering he had already been capped 13 times prior to the ARC, but Kessler took a big step forward and was preferred to World Cup incumbent Carlos Arboleya by the end of the tournament. He first caught the eye in the 2014 World Rugby u20 Trophy with four tries including a hat-trick against Japan, and spent last year as Arboleya’s understudy after Nicolás Klappenbach missed most of the year with injury. Kessler is a nice mix of new and old. He combines strong fundamentals with good mobility and a frame suitable to play in both the tight and the loose effectively. His leadership qualities are also beginning to show, and he looks a decent bet to skipper Los Teros one day in the future.

Wilton Rebolo – Prop – Brazil

One of the new breed of young Brazilian players with both the confidence and physical qualities to succeed at international level, Rebolo graduated straight from the u20 program to senior honors, making his test debut against Germany in November. In the ARC he showed his versatility, starting twice each as a loosehead and tighthead and looking equally comfortable at both, a rare commodity in these days of specialization. With a square build, good scrum technique and a decent carrying game, ‘Nelson’ could be the cornerstone of the Tupis front row for the next decade.

Marcos Kremer – Lock – Argentina XV

Arguably the most impressive new athlete in the competition, Kremer is the latest towering specimen to roll off the Argentine production line. At only 18 years old – eligible for the u20 side for the next two years – he’s already a huge man at 1.96 metres (6’5”) in height and 115kg (255lbs), but it’s his maturity around the field that is most significant. Physical, aggressive, and agile enough to play his preferred position of no8, Kremer could well find himself in the back row given the number of young giants looking to join Tomás Lavanini in the Pumas engine room. We’ve seen Ignacio Larrague, Ignacio Calas and briefly Franco Molina in the ARC, and still to come is Lavanini’s younger brother Federico, who just turned 18 and is even bigger than Tomás! What are they putting in the water down there?

Lucas Rumball – Flanker – Canada

It was always going to be a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ the younger Rumball would break into the Canadian lineup. A two-year starter with the u20s who captained the side in 2015, Lucas has followed in the footsteps of prop Jacob – three years his elder – by jumping straight into the ARC squad, only this time winning full caps with it. Strong and abrasive, the only question now is where best to play him? He started all across the back row during the tournament and though blindside looks where he is most comfortable, he could also see more time as an openside if the new coach prefers a more imposing loose forward trio. With zero questions about his competitive nature, expect his name to be in the conversation for a long time to come.

José Deheza – Flanker – Argentina XV

One half of a fearsome wing forward combination alongside Lautaro Bavaro, the 20-year-old Deheza was so impressive we included him in our ARC Dream Team. The openside has been earmarked for Pumas honors since an early age and his relentless pursuit of the ball on both offense and defense was prevalent throughout his first senior involvement. Donning a distinctive red scrum cap that is a tribute to his home club Jockey Córdoba, he tore through carriers and tacklers without hesitation. Expect to see him challenging the likes of Tomás Lezana and Javier Ortega Desio for a spot in the Jaguares sooner than later.

Santiago Arata – Scrumhalf – Uruguay

Highly rated heading into the Championship thanks to his impressive showing at the 2015 u20 Trophy, the next great scrumhalf hope for Los Teros did not disappoint. He made his test debut against Canada in round one and notched his first try against Brazil a week later. With quick service and an eye for the gap around the breakdown, he is ideal if Los Teros want to play a running game. Look for Arata to make his mark once again with the u20s in Zimbabwe before dedicating himself fully to the High Performance Centre at Charrúa. He’ll need to add some weight and improve his kicking game to challenge Agustín Ormaechea for the top spot, but time is very much on his side.

Lautaro Bazán – Scrumhalf – Argentina XV

Another South American sniper around the fringes, similar in style to Arata but perhaps even more aggressive and half a step quicker, and slightly further long in his physical development. Bazán had only limited time to impress, starting one game against Chile and used as a reverse against USA and Canada, but it was enough to show he has the goods for higher honors. While Arata will toil in the Tier 2 version of the World Rugby u20 competition, Bazán will have a second crack at the Tier 1 Championship this summer and he will be expected to lift the Pumitas above their underwhelming 9th place finish in 2015.

Matías Nordenflycht – Centre – Chile

The second of our top prospects who did well enough to merit inclusion in our ARC select side, Nordenflycht scored the very first points of the Championship against Brazil and went on to play every minute of the tournament for Los Cóndores. Despite being on the wrong end of three lop-sided results, he showed his class each time with the full range of desirables in a midfielder – size, strength, determination, and footballing skills. Finishing on top of the ARC scoring charts is also quite a feat given his team’s lowly status. Nordenflycht wore the no13 shirt throughout but his attributes suggest that no12 might be his future. Either way, he would not look out of place in a professional environment – either in Europe or in the short-term the USA.

Lorenzo Thomas – Centre – USA

If anyone went from unknown to future star status during the tournament, it is surely the teenage midfield dynamo from Lindenwood University. After a dominant performance against Canada in the u20 qualifier in Texas, he earned an instant call-up to the senior side and didn’t look at all out of place – physically or mentally. He was so impressive that he was recalled for the game against Uruguay and looks set to be a fixture in the Eagles midfield for some time to come. The fact that he is eligible for the Junior All-Americans next year as well tells you what a prodigious talent he is. Opposing midfielders in Zimbabwe will not be looking forward to his arrival.

Brett Johnson – Wing – Canada

We only got brief snippets of what he brings to the table, but one brilliant individual score against Chile is enough to convince the scouts that the Truro, Nova Scotia, native is a special talent. As the French saying goes, Johnson has a certain je ne sais quoi, an x-factor not often seen in Canadian athletes. His pace and stepping ability have now put him firmly in the shop window as an attacking wing or fullback. The next task will be to capitalise on whatever the next opportunity is, whether with the XVs or perhaps with the 7s program. He could probably afford to put on another 5-7kg (10-15lbs) without losing any speed, or at least consider wearing a smaller jersey next time.