Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Uruguay’s second of three matches in Bucharest, Romania will take place tomorrow, on Monday afternoon local time. Los Teros will play an official capped international against Romania in what is a second round match in the World Rugby Nations Cup.
Los Teros will take to the field at 2pm against the tournament’s host nation who are coming off a 20-8 first round victory against Namibia. For their part Los Teros were unsuccessful in the first round, losing 26-24 against Emerging Italy.
Unlike the fixture against the Central Europeans Monday’s match will be fully capped and, as such, world rankings will be on the line. For this very reason Head Coach Esteban Meneses has named the strongest possible Uruguayan lineup.
Missing are French based players Felipe Berchesi and Agustín Ormaechea who are being rested after a long club season. Fullback Gastón Mieres is out through injury while center Joaquín Prada and hooker Carlos Arboleya are missing due to their studies.
The team is, otherwise, at full strength. The starting front-row all featured at Rugby World Cup 2015 with tighthead prop Mario Sagario being Uruguay’s leading forward in the competition.
Diego Magno played as a back-rower as he had done so throughout his international career up until that point. Meneses, though, has overseen his conversion into a second-rower and he will join Diego Ayala in locking the scrum against Romania.
The inform Gonzalo Camponar will join Rugby World Cup back-rowers Juan Gaminara and Alejandro Nieto to complete the starting lineup in the pack. Gaminara will captain from blindside flanker.
Neither Guillermo Lijtenstein nor Martín Secco featured at Rugby World Cup 2015 but they are to be the starting halves combination against Romania. Both players have received plenty of game time in prior matches for Los Teros this year.
Outside them will be Facundo Klappenbach and Nicolás Freitas in the mid-field. They were also not involved in England and Wales last September and October but have worked their way into the team based on competent performances.
A revelation for Uruguay in the Americas Rugby Championship, Federico Favaro has been given the opportunity to start at fullback. His transition from the wing has been of note. Andrés Rocco will join Rugby World Cup 2015 winger Leandro Leivas and Favaro in starting in the back-three.
Of the replacements three players – Matías Beer, Rodrigo Silva and Andrés Vilaseca played for Uruguay at last year’s Rugby World Cup.
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Germán Kessler, 3 Mario Sagario, 4 Diego Magno, 5 Diego Ayala, 6 Juan Gaminara (capt.), 7 Gonzalo Campomar, 8 Alejandro Nieto, 9 Guillermo Lijtenstein, 10 Martín Secco, 11 Andrés Rocco, 12 Facundo Klappenbach, 13 Nicolás Freitas, 14 Leandro Leivas, 15 Federico Favaro
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Secco, 17 Diego Arbelo, 18 Juan Echeverría, 19 Ignacio Dotti, 20 Matías Beer, 21 Andrés Vilaseca, 22 Santiago Arata, 23 Rodrigo Silva
