Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Things look a little better in the Premiership with a dozen Americas players named to match day squads for games on Friday and Sunday. As the calendar ticks over into the New Year, the second half of the season officially begins with Saracens and Wasps tied for top spot and Bristol engaged in a relegation battle with Worcester
Newcastle are in the lower-mid section of the table but look relatively safe from the dropzone. They’ll be up against Wasps at Kingston Park with two Argentines paried in the midfield in Juan Pablo Socino and Belisario Agulla. Evan Olmstead misses out with a minor injury suffered against Saracens but is expected back soon.
With only one game on tap on Friday between Bath and Exeter that will not feature any Americas players, we shift our attention to Sunday where all four games feature players from this side of the Atlantic. Sale have opted to leave AJ MacGinty on the bench this week with Bristol arriving in Salford. Argentina’s Gastón Cortes wears the no3 jersey for the visitors with US Eagles rap Thretton Palamo returning in the midfield.
Defending champions Saracens have a pair of Argentines in their starting lineup – tighthead prop Juan Figallo and outside center Marcelo Bosch – and also name USA prop Titi Lamositele on the bench for the trip to Welford Road. Connor Braid is on reserve duty once again for Worcester to play Marland Yarde and his Harlequins at Sixways, and Argentina will have exports among both sets of reserves at Kingsholm. Gloucester opt to give Mariano Galarza a bit of a rest while Northampton shift Juan Pablo Estelles from the wing to a backup spot.
