Americas Pacific Challenge – Round 2 Preview

The teams for Round 2 of the Americas Pacific Challenge have been named, and there are some tasty neighborly match-ups to keep an eye on. A North American derby between Canada and the USA will make or break their tournament – each side tasted bitter defeat in their opening matches. Uruguay ran Samoa desperately close and will look to take it one further against rivals Argentina. Fiji impressed in their thumping win over the USA and will be keen to carry on there they left off against an aggressive but defensively suspect Samoa.

Streaming details are still to be confirmed by World Rugby.

 

SAMOA ‘A’ vs FIJI WARRIORS
12:00 local, 11:00 ET, 08:00 PT

Samoan coach Potu Leavasa has freshened up his pack with four new starters. Jake Grey starts at tighthead and assumes the captaincy. He will join Russian club Enisei STM following the tournament to play in the European Challenge Cup. Nephil Leatigaga swaps to loosehead, with Malcolm Tanielu at hooker. Callum Adams enters the second row pushing Mikaele Tapili to the blindside, and bustling no8 Suamalie Tuiletufuta will play from the kickoff. The only change in the backline sees Meki Magele shift to the left wing and powerful Rhema Sagote in at centre.

Fiji have opted not to mess with a winning combination, making only two changes and one positional switch to the side that smashed the USA Selects. Iliesa Leca replaces Jerry Naureure at hooker, and Sakiusa Gavidi gets a run at scrumhalf in place of Henry Seniloli. Fred Hickes swaps shirts to Ifereimi Tovilevi to start in his preferred midfield role.

SAMOA ‘A’
1 Nephi Leatigaga 2 Malcolm Tanielu 3 Jake Grey (capt.) 4 Talaga Alofipo 5 Callum Adams 6 Mikaele Tapili 7 Oneone Fa’afou 8 Suamalie Tuiletufuta 9 Danny Tusitala 10 Patrick Fa’apale 11 Meki Magele 12 Rhema Sagote 13 Ope Peleseuma 14 Jeff Makapelu 15 Malu Falaniko

16 Lene Nu’uli 17 Michael Tuiloma 18 Sylvester Taupau 19 Lester Sefo 20 Joshua Fuimaono 21 Melani Matavao 22 Jack Saena 23 Johnny Va’ili

FIJI WARRIORS
1 Joeli Veitayaki 2 Iliesa Leca 3 Mesake Doge 4 Rupeni Nasiga (capt.) 5 Mesulame Kunavula 6 Nemani Nagusa 7 Vasikali Mudu 8 Eremasi Radrodro 9 Sakiusa Gavidi 10 Alivereti Veitokani 11 Ifereimi Tovilevu 12 Eroni Vasiteri 13 Fred Hickes 14 Apete Daveta 15 Lepani Raiyala

16 Jerry Naureure 17 Kalivati Tawake 18 Robert Delai 19 Peni Naulago 20 Sakiusa Nadruku 21 Henry Seniloli 22 Ilimeleki Leiloma 23 Sitiveni Kunaga

Referee: Pali De Luca (UAR)
Assistants: Joaquín Montes (URU) & Gonzalo Ventoso (URU)
TMO: Alejandro Longres (URU)

 

USA SELECTS vs CANADA ‘A’
14:15 local, 13:15 ET, 10:15 PT

Nine changes are made to the USA lineup to face their northern neighbors. Jake Turnbull replaces the injured Mason Pederson at loosehead and Hanco Germishuys makes his first competitive start at hooker. Christian Ostberg pairs with Harry Higgins at lock, with Malon Al-Jiboori and Cecil Garber on the flanks. Nick Boyer and Ben Cima are the new halfback combination, with Ahmad Harajly on the wing. Mike Te’o leads the side out with Joe Taufete’e among the reserves.

The Canadians have kept their team largely intact, with two changes up front and three in the backs. Lucas Albornoz comes in at lock, and Admir Cejvanovic starts at no8 with Lucas Rumball moved to the flank. Robbie Povey steps in at flyhalf with Doug Fraser outside him. Injuries to Dan Moor and Nanyak Dala see teenager Anton Ngongo starting on the wing and Ontario Blues forward Mike Sheppard called up to the bench after arriving in Montevideo.

USA SELECTS
1 Jake Turnbull 2 Hanco Germishuys 3 Demecus Beach 4 Christian Ostberg 5 Harry Higgins 6 Malon Al-Jiboori 7 Cecil Garber 8 Sione Tu’ihalamaka 9 Nick Boyer 10 Ben Cima 11 Matai Leuta 12 Martin Iosefo 13 Bryce Campbell 14 Ahmad Harajly 15 Mike Te’o (capt.)

16 Joe Taufete’e 17 Chance Wenglewski 18 Alex Maughan 19 Siaosi Mahoni 20 Pat Blair 21 Stephen Tomasin 22 JP Eloff 23 Brett Thompson

CANADA ‘A’
1 Rob Brouwer 2 Ray Barkwill 3 Ryan Kotlewski 4 Lucas Albornoz 5 Conor Keys 6 Lucas Rumball 7 Matt Heaton 8 Admir Cejvanovic 9 Gordon McRorie (capt.) 10 Robbie Povey 11 Anton Ngongo 12 Doug Fraser 13 Ben LeSage 14 Kainoa Lloyd 15 Rory McDonell

16 Martial Lagain 17 Peter Houlihan 18 Ryan Ackerman 19 Adrian Wadden 20 Mike Sheppard 21 Andrew Ferguson 22 Patrick Parfrey 23 Guiseppe du Toit

Referee: Ricardo Sant’Anna (CBRu)
Assistants: Claudio Cattivelli (URU) & Rodrigo Goyret (URU)
TMO: Alejandro Longres (URU)

 

ARGENTINA XV vs URUGUAY ‘A’
16:30 local, 15:30 ET, 12:30 PT

More than half the starting side will be different for Argentina with eight changes in all. Facundo Bosch starts at hooker with Pedro Ortega in the second row. Nicolás Menendez and Santiago Montagner enter the back row, and the new halfback combination is stand-in captain Gonzalo Bertranou and highly-rated youngster Domingo Miotti. Julián Domínguez replaces Segundo Tuculet on the wing, and Gabriel Ascárate starts in the midfield.

Uruguay have made six changes to their run-on side. Veteran hooker Martin Espiga is recalled after leading Old Christians to the Uruguayan club title, five years after winning his last senior cap for Los Teros. Top prospect Manuel Leindekar starts at lock, with Fernando Bascou replacing Gonzalo Soto in the back row. Andres Rocco is called into the squad and jumps straight in on the left wing, while Facundo Klappenbach is in the midfield and Manuel Blengio gets a run at fullback.

ARGENTINA XV
1 Facundo Gigena 2 Facundo Bosch 3 Cristian Bartoloni 4 Juan Cruz Guillemaín 5 Pedro Ortega 6 Nicolás Menendez 7 Tomás Lezana 8 Santiago Montagner 9 Gonzalo Bertranou (capt.) 10 Domingo Miotti 11 Julián Domínguez 12 Gabriel Ascárate 13 Juan Cappiello 14 Fernando Luna 15 Bautista Delguy

16 Gaspar Baldunciel 17 Nicolás Solveyra 18 Santiago Medrano 19 Ignacio Larrague 20 Rodrigo Báez 21 Felipe Ezcurra 22 Juan Cruz González 23 Santiago Álvarez

URUGUAY ‘A’
1 Mateo Sanguinetti 2 Martín Espiga 3 Mario Sagario (capt.) 4 Manuel Leindekar 5 Diego Ayala 6 Joaquín Dell’Acqua 7 Fernando Bascou 8 Santiago Hernández 9 Guillermo Lijtenstein 10 Jerónimo Etcheverry 11 Andrés Rocco 12 Facundo Klappenbach 13 Joaquín Prada 14 Santiago Gibernau 15 Manuel Blengio

16 Juan Echeverría 17 Ignacio Secco 18 Diego Arbelo 19 Lorenzo Surraco 20 Diego Magno 21 Santiago Arata 22 Rodrigo Silva 23 Nicolás Freitas

Referee: Tim Baker (HKRFU)
Assistants: Joaquín Montes (URU) & Claudio Cattivelli (URU)
TMO: Francisco Pesce (URU)