Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

UP

Chile
Chile will have access to all their top players for the upcoming Rugby World Cup qualifiers. From May 13-27 Los Cóndores are to compete against South American opposition with one side advancing to the finals of Americas qualification. The three qualifiers are to be played outside of the World Rugby release window. This had placed doubt over the potential involvement of players based abroad. It can now be confirmed that Chile will take on Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay without restrictions. France second row Pablo Huete, prop Ramón Ayarza, and center Francisco de la Fuente will all take part along with others.

Oyonnax
Oyonnax are back in the Top 14. The Haut-Bugey club officially finished at the peak of the Pro D2, doing so with a round to spear. Oyonnax defeated Perpignan 19-9 on Thursday but it was Agen’s loss on Friday that saw the club over the finish line. Oyonnax’s promotion is welcome news to both Canada and Uruguay. The club is home to both experience and youth. Canadian stalwart Jamie Cudmore captains the club and looks set to become a full-time coach next season, while young Uruguayan lock Manuel Leindekar is a member of the academy.

DTH van der Merwe, Tyler Ardron
Canadian power saw tries scored by two players in the Guinness Pro 12 this past weekend. Ardron scored for the Ospreys who defeated Ulster 24-10. Over in Ireland, the Scarlets powered past Connacht 30-8. The results secured Semi Finals appearances for both Welsh regions in the Pro 12. It is history in itself as never before have two Welsh teams made the final four.

Benjamín Urdapilleta
Magic from Urdapilleta saw Castres eliminating Toulouse from Top 14 play-off’s contention this weekend. The former Puma scored 27 points for Castres who hammered Toulouse 52-7. The result means Castres have a 99% chance of making the play-off’s. Playing fly half for Castres, Urdapilleta kicked four penalties and converted five tries. One of these tries was his own, an impressive score which saw the Toulouse defense humbled.

Patricio Albacete
Patricio Albacete is to play for the Barbarians. The 36-year-old Toulouse enforcer is the second of two Pumas named for upcoming activity. He joins Lyon No 8 Facundo Isa. The Barbarians are to play matches against England and Ulster. The fixtures will take place on May 28 and June 01 respectively. Capped 57 times for Argentina, Albacete’s test career ended prematurely following off-field troubles with Head Coach Daniel Hourcade. He was a permanent starter for Los Pumas from 2003-2013 and played in three Rugby World Cups.

Americas ‘Lions’
While it’s only fantasy, we played the part of selectors to pick an Americas All-Star side in the spirit of the British & Irish Lions. The exercise reaffirmed the incredible depth in Argentine rugby but also that the Americas as a whole is not short on talent. Perhaps one day we will see an Americas team play against a top tier club or international side. Imagine the Barbarians playing an Americas XV at Soldier Field. What a spectacle it would be.

Ontario Blues
The defending MacTier Cup holders traveled to New York to take on Old Blue on Saturday and came away victorious but not without some difficulty. After leading 27-10 at the half Old Blue rallied to push the visiting Blues to the brink, with Ontario eventually coming out on top by 34-31. A hat-trick by scrumhalf Andrew Ferguson and two tries for winger Kainoa Lloyd, both Canadian internationals, led the way for Ontario while US Eagles speedster Luke Hume was in top form for Old Blue. Despite the near-miss it’s a good start for the Blues who were playing their first rugby game of 2017 and clearly have some match fitness to catch up on ahead of their next fixture against the Glendale Raptors later this month.

Burnaby Lake, UBC Thunderbirds
At the other end of their season are the West Coast club sides, who competed in the CDI Premier League Semi Finals this past weekend. Two-time defending champions UBC conquered the Castaway Wanderers by 29-15 in damp conditions at Windsor Park. A hat-trick from Canada u20 star Theo Sauder led the way for the Thunderbirds. They will attempt to make it three in a row at Exhibition Park in Abbotsford next weekend, where it will be a repeat of the 2016 final as Burnaby Lake pushed past the Seattle Saracens by 20-11. Internationals from two countries were spread across the four teams.

UNDER

Jaguares
A fourth consecutive loss has left Los Jaguares players and supporters significantly frustrated. Captain Agustín Creevy described the loss against the Sharks by saying his team played ‘Luke Warm’. There is little time for a diagnosis as the Argentine side must improve immediately and prepare for the Sunwolves. It is a fixture in which they ought to win though in 2016 they failed to do so. Against the Sharks Los Jaguares were erratic in attack and badly exposed in defense.

Creevy’s Legs
Agustín Creevy is playing very well. Against the Sharks he continued to carry well, wining turnovers and playing well in the set piece. But it is the sheer volume of his work which must be brought into questioning. As captain of both Los Pumas and Los Jaguares he is the first choice hooker. He has started all matches this season, and with England and Georgia visiting in June the big question is how long can his body keep going without breaking down. Creevy’s deputy, Julian Montoya, remains injured while Roberto Tejerizo, a converted prop, is yet to settle in. Gaspar Baldunciel ought to get game time to give Creevy some relief.

Alejandro Allub
If only players did not age. Some go on to play much longer than others. Playing until 41 is deemed to be very late. Puma Alejandro Allub succeeded in doing so but his adventure has now come to an end. ‘Turco’ has played his final match for his Jockey Club Córdoba. Emotional scenes saw all celebrating what has been an amazing career. He scored Argentina’s try in the all-important win over Samoa at Rugby World Cup 1999. An agile and supremely fit second row when physical behemoths were en vogue, Allub was also highly intelligent as befits his career as a pediatrician. Were it not for heart problems that forced him to step away from test rugby at the age of 25 he would have added many more to his 29 caps.

ESPN BRASIL
The Brazilian rugby public has been left reeling by ESPN Brasil. The country’s primary broadcaster of rugby has simply stopped broadcasting Super Rugby and Aviva Premiership. No notice was given to the public. A decision was simply made to prioritize other sports. This includes repeats of NFL and soccer matches from months ago amd comes at a time in which Brazil’s national men’s team is planning for Rugby World Cup qualifiers. It also coincides with what has been a strong period for growth in the country. Player numbers and clubs both continue to rise.

Lights Out in Dublin
The lights at the RDS in Dublin failed on Friday. During a Guinness Pro 12 match between Leinster and the Glasgow Warriors the floodlights at the ground gave way. This disruption caused a 20-minute delay. The venue is the regular home of Leinster in the competition. It is also one of three Dublin stadiums included in the Ireland 2023 bid. With France and South Africa both having a greater variety of venues Friday’s incident was not ideal.