Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Americas players will be making their mark in the Champions Cup this weekend, albeit in doses. A number of top European-based professionals have been left out but there are still three key games that feature 10 players of interest for Americas fans, with an 11th – Serafin Bordoli – on the Zebre bench for the match against Connacht in Galway on Saturday.
Juan Pablo Estelles has been thrust straight into the Northampton Saints starting lineup after being registered for the competition during the week. He will make his Champions Cup debut on the wing at Frankin’s Gardens with countryman Horacio Agulla wearing the same jersey number on the opposite side of the pitch for Castres. Left on the bench for the visitors this week are captain Rodrigo Capó Ortega and top scorer Benjamín Urdapilleta, perhaps with an eye towards saving them for the Top 14.
Sunday will see Scarlets host Saracens at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli. DTH van der Merwe will not feature for the home side but there are four Americas players named by the visitors. Juan Figallo starts at tighthead prop with Chris Wyles and Marcelo Bosch both in their usual backline positions of left wing and outside centre respectively. Try-scoring hero Titi Lamositele provides prop cover from the bench once again.
Lastly Toulon welcome Sale Sharks to Stade Félix Mayol. Samu Manoa returns to the second row this week with Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe named in the no7 shirt. There is no place for AJ MacGinty in the Sharks side, with Sam James once again preferred at flyhalf and Dan Mugford named on the bench as cover.
