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Los Cóndores Head Coach Bernard Charreyre has named his team for the first test against South Korea. To prepare for the 2017 Americas Rugby Championship Chile will host the Asian country in two test matches.
Charreyre has named flanker Benjamín Soto as captain. He will lead an entirely home-based Cóndores lineup. Missing are European based players, though they are to be free to play in the Americas Rugby Championship.
Soto will be surrounded by familiar names in the back-row. One of Chile’s best performers in the inaugural Americas Rugby Championship, Javier Richard will be the other staring flanker. Nikola Bursic was also involved in the campaign. He will start at No 8.
The trio will offer mobility to a pack which will look to suffocate South Korea. A lot will be asked of second-rowers Francisco Hurtado and Mario Mayol Recordon. The pairing will be backed up by 2015 Junior World Trophy captain Martín Sigren from the bench.
Up front Charreyre has opted for a new-look trio. Props Claudio Zamorano and José Tomás Munita join hooker Manuel Gurruchaga in a vastly changed trio. Unavailable is regular hooker Luis Sepúlveda.
The impressive Juan Pablo Perrotta continues for Chile at scrum half. He will join Francisco González Moller, a significantly underused player in 2016. González Moller is one player back from Los Cóndores 7’s. Another is Felipe Brangier who will play at outside center.
The remainder of the starting lineup see Ricardo Sifri getting an opportunity at inside center while Juan Pablo Larenas, Tomás Ianiszewski and Rodrigo Fernández will play in the back-three.
The bench features five uncapped players. Lucas Bordigoni, Matías Contreras, Jorge Castillo, Álvaro Ide and Martín Sigren are all looking to be Cóndores for the right time.
Sunday’s home test against South Korea will be history making. It will mark the first ever match between the countries. Kick-off for the fixture is scheduled for 4pm.
CHILE
1 Claudio Zamorano (Stade Francais), 2 Manuel Gurruchaga (COBS), 3 José Tomás Muñita (Universidad Católica), 4 Francisco Hurtado (Old Georgians), 5 Mario Mayol (Old Boys), 6 Benjamín Soto (Stade Francais), 7 Javier Richard (COBS), 8 Nikola Bursic (COBS), 9 Juan Pablo Perrotta (Universidad Católica), 10 Francisco González Moller (Sporting), 11 Juan Pablo Larenas (Universidad Católica), 12 Ricardo Sifri (Universidad Católica), 13 Felipe Brangier (PWCC), 14 Tomás Ianiszewski (Old Locks), 15 Rodrigo Fernández (COBS)
Replacements: 16 Tomás Dussaillant (Old Boys), 17 Álvaro Ide (Old Reds), 18 Lucas Bordigoni (Viña Rugby), 19 Martín Sigren (Old Boys) 20. Cristóbal Niedmann (PWCC), 21 Beltrán Vergara (Old Boys), 22 Jorge Castillo (ARUA Antofagasta), 23 Matías Contreras (Alumni)
