Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The weekend is almost here and with it comes the Americas Weekend Guide. Up first is the Pro D2, France’s professional second division competition. Involved in Round 18 will be number of players from the Americas.
Kicking off Round 18 on Thursday evening was a wild match between Agen and Biarritz that saw six players carded including two send-offs. Thankfully neither red card was to an Americas player but one yellow from each side was, with Biarritz replacement prop Leandro Assi sent to the bin late in the game for a scrum collapse. Early in the first half it was Canadian winger Taylor Paris who was given a 1o-minute breather for a dangerous tackle on Kylan Hamdaoui. Biarritz came away 20-17 winners in one of the most tense battles the Pro D2 has seen this year.
Friday sees six games scheduled with a heap of Americas player involved. Argentine flankers Martín Chiappesoni and Leandro Pérez Galeone will go head-to-head when Bourgoin travel to Dax. Three of their countrymen will take part in Montauban, where reserve prop Damian Arias will host Charente duo Bruno Mercanti, who starts at hooker, and right wing Facundo Panceyra Garrido.
A pair of front rowers suit up for Colomiers against Perpignan. Agustín Costa Repetto is named at hooker with Ariel Castellina the backup tighthead. Their mates Carlos Muzzio and Jerónimo Negrotto have been recalled to the run-on side for Mont-de-Marsan, while Uruguay’s Agustin Ormaechea continues at scrumhalf in the match at Albi.
Vannes again roll out five Americas players in their match day squad. Martín García Veiga starts at hooker with Javier Lagioiosa in the second row and Conor Trainor selected on the wing for the first time this season. Eagles prop Eric Fry is a reserve this week, as is flyhalf Bautista Güemes. Fry’s 2016 ARC teammate David Tameilau starts for the seventh time this season as Narbonne travel to Béziers. The powerful no8 will look to rebound from a slightly frustrating performance against Montauban last weekend.
Sunday’s only match sees Aurillac host Oyonnax at Stade Jean Alric. Neither side has yet named a match day squad with Christian Ostberg available to Aurillac and Jamie Cudmore a possible for Oyonnax.
