It’s another packed weekend of domestic action with Americas players scattered all across Europe and Super Rugby going strong as well. An 18-strong Americas contingent will get things going in the French Pro D2, with players from five different countries represented.
Aix will host four South Americans as Argentine duo Leandro Assi and Lucas Caneda start at prop and wing respectively for Provence. Visitors Mont-de-Marsan have their country-mate Carlos Muzzio covering loosehead in the reserves, and star Uruguayan scrumhalf Agustín Ormaechea in the starting lineup.
Teros teammate Felipe Berchesi is benched this week for Carcassonne at Dax, with former Pumas prop Nahuel Lobo sitting alongside. The home side have Ignacio Mieres wearing the no12 shirt and big lock Gerónimo Albertario among the reserves.
Chile’s lone representative Pablo Huete is in the second row for Bayonne, with Argentina’s Benjamín Macome also making the trip and lined up beside as a flanker. Montauban feature prop Damian Arias as reserve tighthead.
Four more of Argentina’s exiles will play at Tarbes. Agustín Costa Repetto starts at hooker while scrumhalf Nicolás Vergallo and prop Jerónimo Negrotto will wait for their second half appearances. Demian Panizzo will play lock for visiting Colomiers.
Javier Rojas is the remaining Argentine, acting as midfield backup for Albi against Aurillac. Meanwhile two North American exports will play in the Basque country as US Eagles star Takudzwa Ngwenya wings it for Biarritz and Canada’s Andrew Tiedemann covers prop from the Bourgoin bench.