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Lucas Duque returns to the Tupis lineup to face Canada in the final round of the Americas Rugby Championship on Friday. The veteran scrumhalf has recovered from injury that ruled him out of the first four games of the tournament, one of seven changes in all made by head coach Rodolfo Ambrosio.
The front row sees both props switched with Jonatas Paulo returning at loosehead and Pedro Bengaló selected at tighthead. Wilton Rebolo drops to the bench with Matheus Rocha also added along with Luan Almeida, who covers hooker for the first time in 2017 replacing Daniel Danielewicz.
Both starting locks from the match in Ushuaia are out with the preferred pair of Lucas Piero and Luiz Vieira restored for São Paulo. Vieira has recovered from a knock suffered against the USA in Round 2. Diego López will again play a reserve role along with Joao Luiz da Ros, with Arthur Bergo handed his first start of the competition on the openside flank.
Duque replaces Matheus Cruz at halfback to join brother Moisés in the starting lineup. De Wet van Niekerk drops out after being concussed against Argentina, with the experienced Lucas ‘Ze’ Tranquez recalled on the left wing. Stefano Giantorno is back in the match day squad albeit on the bench, and there is a new name in Jacareí teenager Matheus Cláudio who is set to make his test debut having impressed in the national age-grade program.
Brazil were defeated 52-25 in their only previous match against Canada during the 2016 ARC. The Tupis have lost three matches in a row but now return to the same venue of their first round victory over Chile, the Estádio do Pacaembu in São Paulo.
BRAZIL
1 Jonatas Paulo, 2 Yan Rosetti, 3 Pedro Bengaló, 4 Lucas Piero, 5 Luiz Vieira, 6 André Arruda, 7 Arthur Bergo, 8 Nick Smith (capt.), 9 Lucas Duque, 10 Josh Reeves, 11 Lucas Tranquez, 12 Moisés Duque, 13 Felipe Sancery, 14 Ariel Rodrigues, 15 Daniel Sancery
Replacements: 16 Luan Almeida, 17 Wilton Rebolo, 18 Matheus Rocha, 19 Diego López, 20 João Luiz da Ros, 21 Matheus Cruz, 22 Matheus Cláudio, 23 Stefano Giantorno
