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Chile have announced a list of 27 players to travel to Sao Paulo for the opening match of the 2017 Americas Rugby Championship on Friday. In doing so they have also revealed their probable starting lineup for the game with a couple surprises.
Veteran COBS flyhalf Francisco Cruz looks set to beat out Francisco González Moller for the starting role, while hard-running midfielder Matías Nordenflycht should be selected at inside centre with uncapped Franco Velarde set to make his test debut outside him. The Verschae brothers – Pedro and Martín – will man the wings.
Aerial expert Anton Petrowitsch returns from sevens duty to win a spot on the flank, with Manuel Dagnino preferred at no8. Last year’s captain Benjamín Soto is set to be named among the reserves, with Old Macks skipper Dagnino a possibility to wear the armband in Soto’s stead. Uncapped Easter Island native Nicanor Machuca could make his debut from the bench with three other new caps among those traveling in props Gonzalo Martínez and Vittorio Lastra and flanker Arturo Seeman.
CHILE PROBABLE XV vs BRAZIL
1 Claudio Zamorano, 2 Tomás Dussaillant, 3 José Tomás Munita, 4 Mario Mayol, 5 Nikola Bursic, 6 Cristóbal Niedmann, 7 Anton Petrowitsch, 8 Manuel Dagnino, 9 Beltrán Vergara, 10 Francisco Cruz, 11 Pedro Verschae, 12 Matías Nordenflycht, 13 Franco Velarde, 14 Martín Verschae, 15 Rodrigo Fernández
RESERVES FROM: Rodrigo Moya, Gonzalo Martínez, Vittorio Lastra, Nicanor Machuca, Benjamín Soto, Eduardo Orpis, Arturo Seeman, Jan Hasenlechner, Juan Pablo Larenas, Jorge Castillo, Francisco González Moller, Tomás Ianiszewski
