Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Week 6 of the 2016-17 Top 14 season will see matches played on Saturday and Sunday in France. The competition features world class athletes from around the globe. Included are players from the Americas. This season’s edition is to continue with the importance of Americas players. Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay and the USA are all represented.
Opening Week 6 will open with Castres vs Racing 92. In what is 6th place hosting 5th the visitors are very much going in as the favorites. Their star-studded lineup for the fixture includes Juan Imhoff, the scorer of a hat-trick from Week 5. Former Puma Benjamin Urdapilleta will start for Castres as will Uruguayan Rodrigo Capó Ortega.
Next up will be Bordeaux vs Lyon. For Francisco Gómez Kodela it will be a match against his former club. Gómez Kodela has been named as Lyon’s replacement specialist tight-head prop. Joining him on the bench is former Pumas scrum-half Agustín Figuerola.
Bottom of the table Grenoble are simple desperate for a home win. Their home encounter against Pau sees Grenoble fielding their strongest roster. The visitors will have Trinidad & Tobago’s Steffon Armitage in their side. Capped by England, Ermitage will start at flanker.
Grenoble are joined by Bayonne in the relegation zone at present. Bayonne have a tough assignment this weekend. Their away match against La Rochelle is against an on-form team. So strongly have La Rochelle started that the club is sitting in 2nd position. Chilean second-rower Pablo Huete will feature from the bench for Bayonne. Martín Bustos Moyano is out for three months.
In years gone by Toulouse vs Stade Français was the battle of the giants. This is no longer the case with both sides looking increasingly like mid-table teams. Toulouse has been raided by rivals, the latest to leave being Yacouba Camara who has signed for Montpellier. Starting at number 8 for the Parisians will be Argentine-Italian Sergio Parisse.
Completing Week 6 will be two Sunday matches. Toulon have a tough assignment, a home match against competition leaders Clermont. A highly mobile team has been named for the fixture. Starting will be Pumas Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe and Axel Muller. USA enforcer Samu Manoa will feature as a replacement. Starting at fly half for Clermont will be Patricio Fernández.
Montpellier and Toulon will be at home against Brive and Clermont respectively. Players from the Americas are expected to feature in both games. Lineups will be announced on Saturday afternoon.
