Americas Players in Top 14 – Season Preview

A new season of Top 14 rugby begins on Saturday. The opening round kicks off less than two months after the 2016 final was played in Barcelona. The quick turnaround is due to Rugby World Cup 2015 having delayed matches in the early part of the 2015-2016 season. With there being 26 rounds and playoffs to be juggled alongside test rugby and European club rugby it is a long, long season.

The Americas will have a significant presence in the Top 14 this season. As usual Argentina will have the largest contingent of players. Canada, Uruguay, the USA, and Trinidad & Tobago are again represented. Joining them this season will be Chile and for the first time Colombia.

The position of second row is remarkably present in all countries from the Americas. Curiously the change of policy from the UAR has seen a significant drop off in props remaining in France. Top 14 clubs will start the season with just two from Argentina, both tightheads.

 

Argentina

With professionalism now reaching Argentine shores specifically in the form of Super Rugby, the number of exports in the Top 14 has decreased. Back in 2007 there were some 60 players from Argentina in France, many of whom were in the top division. Despite the new policy of ignoring eligible players overseas for national selection, there remains a notable group playing in France.

New arrivals this season are wingers Axel Müller and Horacio Agulla. Müller joins the famed Toulon club directly from the Pumas Olympic 7s team, while Agulla is back in France after six years in the Aviva Premiership. He joins Benjamín Urdapilleta and Uruguay’s Rodrigo Capó Ortega to give Castres three Rio de la Plata familiars.

Sergio Parisse and Leandro Cedaro are born in Argentina but represent Italy on the international level. Two youngsters will join Pau’s Academy program this year, prop Joel Sclavi and hooker Ignacio Calles. Bayonne star Martín Bustos Moyano returns having guided his team to promotion from Pro D2.

NAME	POSITION	CLUB
Francisco Gómez Kodela	Prop	Lyon
Joel Sclavi	Prop	Pau (Academy)
Ignacio Calles	Hooker	Pau (Academy)
Patricio Albacete	Lock	Toulouse
Manuel Carizza	Lock	Racing 92
Leandro Cedaro	Lock	La Rochelle
Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe	Flanker	Toulon
Sergio Parisse	No8	Stade Français
Agustín Figuerola	Scrumhalf	Lyon
Patricio Fernández	Flyhalf	Clermont
Santiago Fernández	Flyhalf	Pau
Benjamín Urdapilleta	Flyhalf	Castres
Horacio Agulla	Wing	Castres
Juan Imhoff	Wing	Racing 92
Axel Müller	Wing	Toulon
Martín Bustos Moyano	Fullback	Bayonne

 

Canada

With Jamie Cudmore leaving Clermont for Oyonnax and Taylor Paris headed back to Pro D2 with relegated Agen, Canada is left with only one senior player in the Top 14. Second row Cameron Pierce will fly the flag, though he will have youngsters Matt Tierney and Matt Beukeboom in the Academy at Pau. George Barton will continue to play for the Clermont Espoirs.

NAME	POSITION	CLUB
Matt Tierney	Prop	Pau (Academy)
Matt Beukeboom	Lock	Pau (Academy)
Cameron Pierce	Lock	Pau
George Barton	Centre	Clermont (Academy)

 

Chile

The presence of two Cóndores means that Chile will have more players than ever before in the Top 14. They follow on from Sergio Valdés who played for Auch in the Top 14 nine years ago. Both loosehead prop Ramón Ayarza and second row Pablo Huete helped Bayonne win promotion from the Pro D2 last season. Ayarza is two weeks away from turning 23 while Huete is still young at 27. Both players are in line for game time at the Basque club.

NAME	POSITION	CLUB
Ramón Ayarza	Prop	Bayonne
Pablo Huete	Lock	Bayonne

 

Colombia

A new country will represent the Americas in the Top 14 this season. Despite playing in the South American B Championship, Colombia will have a young player featuring in the world’s leading domestic rugby competition. Andrés Zafra joined the club earlier this year on an Academy deal but having come through warm-up games well is expected to receive game time with the senior side. Before Zafra, no Colombian had ever played in France.

NAME	POSITION	CLUB
Andrés Zafra	Lock	Lyon (Academy)

 

Trinidad & Tobago

The Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago is the birth place of the Armitage brothers. They moved to England in 1990 when Delon was six and Steffon was four. Before adulthood they also lived in France with Delon even playing u16 rugby for the country. Before being capped by England both played in the Aviva Premiership for London Irish with Steffon arriving via Saracens. They moved to the Top 14 in 2011 and 2012 respectively, playing for Toulon until 2016. They are now to play for rival clubs with Delon having joined Lyon and Steffon signing for Pau.

NAME	POSITION	CLUB
Steffon Armitage	Flanker	Pau
Delon Armitage	Fullback	Lyon

 

Uruguay

Back to lead Castres for another season is Rodrigo Capó Ortega. Now aged 35 the Montevideo rock has been playing for Castres since 2002. The Rugby World Cup 2003 athlete won the Top 14 title with the club in 2013. Over the years he has partnered some of Europe’s best locks – Lionel Nallet, Pascal Papé, and Richie Gray among others. Unlike them, however, Capó Ortega remains at the club.

NAME	POSITION	CLUB
Rodrigo Capo Ortega	Lock	Castres

 

USA

Samu Manoa is to start the Top 14 season as the only senior USA player in the competition. Having been used mainly at no8 for Northampton he is now seen as a second row for Toulon. A possible contender for future Eagles honors is young midfielder Mose Fuala’au, who has been promoted to ‘elite’ status in Clermont’s Academy.

NAME	POSITION	CLUB
Samu Manoa	Lock	Toulon
Mose Fuala’au	Centre	Clermont (Academy)