Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

UP

Canada’s Women
Already rising after a brilliant tournament opener against England, Canada showed no mercy to hosts USA and closed out the Super Series with a dominant performance over Six Nations champions France. Canada have now rocketed up to 2nd in the World Rankings, their highest ever point, and can rightfully claim to be the strongest team in the Northern Hemisphere – for now. Their November tour to Europe will tell us more about their progress heading towards the all-important World Cup in Ireland next year.

Denver Stampede, Ohio Aviators
The two runaway leaders in PRO Rugby made short work of their opposition on the weekend. It’s now officially a two-horse race to claim the title. Both sides have looked a class apart but have done so with very different playing styles. It’s fitting that the final match of the inaugural PRO season features the two heavyweights dueling it out at Memorial Park in what looks to be set to become a de facto Cup Final.

Prairie Wolf Pack
Two for two and the Pack are halfway to defending their MacTier Cup title. A strong performance against the Bears has put them on top of the Canadian Rugby Championship standings, a particularly impressive result given that the match was played on Vancouver Island and without the guidance of star scrumhalf Gordon McRorie. If the Blues can’t stop them in Toronto in 10 days time, it’s game, set, match for the Calgary-based team.

Canadian Academy Players
The next generation of Canadian stars are queuing up in professional sides in Europe. Matt Tierney has gone from Pau’s Espoirs to a Top 14 tighthead and capped international in a matter of months. Djustice Sears-Duru has earned a full-time contract with Glasgow Warriors, and George Barton is turning heads in the Clermont Auvergne development side. New additions are second row pair Paul Ciulini and Matt Beukeboom, and there could be more before too long. The future is starting to look a little brighter for the men in red.

Dan Payne
The new CEO of USA Rugby is Dan Payne. The man entrusted with the future of the sport at a critical time in one of the world’s premier markets, Payne’s ascension has been met with widespread approval, something of a strange reaction given the hyper-critical goldfish bowl that is American rugby. While the feel-good factor of a former Eagle and highly-regarded coach and administrator running things is a great start, the honeymoon will be short lived. Payne is in the hot seat now and must bring cohesion to an American system that has at times appeared fractured under Nigel Melville. Here’s hoping Mr. Payne proves to be the right man for the job.

UNDER

Los Jaguares
It’s been a disappointing inaugural run to say the least for Argentina’s Super Rugby side. Just three wins from 14 matches is well below their potential, and Saturday’s loss to the Highlanders in Buenos Aires the latest in a number of subpar efforts. Their tackle numbers for the season are very poor, and their discipline near the bottom of the league. Even more disappointing is their scrum performance, with only the Cheetahs faring worse at the set piece that should be their strength. With only one match remaining in the season, it will take some effort to turn the group’s fortunes around in the Rugby Championship.

San Diego Breakers
If any team has performed below expectations in the PRO Rugby season it has to be San Diego. With a backline that could stand with many international sides, the team just hasn’t hit its stride after a promising opening to the season. The latest outcome was a thrashing at the hands of Denver on the weekend. Injuries to key players like Brian Doyle, Hubert Buydens, and Taku Ngwenya have not helped, but it’s fair to say some others have not played to their potential this season.

World Rugby Match Official Assignments
The list of match official appointments for the Rugby Championship has been released and it’s mostly a list of same-old, same-old. It’s nice to see Angus Gardner and Mathieu Raynal given an opportunity but one wonders what Federico Anselmi must do to get more consideration. The leading referee in the Americas has proven repeatedly that he is a high caliber whistle-blower and yet he has only been given two secondary assistant roles. It’s time to reward good form, and Anselmi deserves a shot at a premier test match.