Team of the Week

It’s a mix-and-match week for our selects with players coming in from the Rugby Americas North Championship final in Georgetown, the Nacional de Clubes final in San Isidro, and a couple Top 14 pre-season games, one played on Argentine soil. The RAN Champion Panthers provide the most after a difficult but convincing win played in a bog in Guyana.

1 – Stephen Cappello (USA South Panthers) The front row we’ll address en masse. Setting the platform for their RAN title win, the Panthers heavyweight went to work on Guyana despite a dreadful muddy pitch. Probably didn’t get the rewards they deserved as they utterly dominated the scrum, giving the Green Machine no set piece ball to work with whatsoever.

2 – Jamal Hadley (USA South Panthers) See above.

3 – Alex Nazon (USA South Panthers) See above.

4 – Vallon Adams (Guyana) Started at No 8 but the big man put in such an effort we had to find a spot for him. Despite a retreating scrum and messy ball he gave his team a huge percentage of their go-forward that kept the match from getting out of hand.

5 – Andrés Zafra (Lyon) Come on as a reserve in the pre-season match against Grenoble on Friday and landed his first try as a professional. An inspiration for Colombian players, he looks on course to win his first Top 14 start this season.

6 – Jordan Gunderson (USA South Panthers) It didn’t look like a day for tall, lanky forwards to thrive, but the Wheeling Jesuit product stepped up to play a big part in the win over Guyana. Won a crucial turnover with a choke tackle in the first half and his tenacity was rewarded with the winning try in the second.

7 – Francisco Gorrissen (Argentina XV) Handed the captain’s armband and didn’t disappoint against Les Toulonnais. Outstanding support work and commitment overall. It seems only a matter of time before he gets the call for higher honors.

8 – Hein Erasmus (USA South Panthers) Led his team to the RAN title from his usual position at the back of the scrum. Made the hard yards and came up with a try from the back of a surging scrum.

9 – Ryan Gonsalves (Guyana) A different sort of selection. This spot could easily have gone to his opposite Jarrett Gartin or perhaps Gonzalo Bertranou, but the Green Machine captain deserves a nod for holding his team together in Georgetown. With a scrum going backwards at a rate of knots and nightmarish field conditions he fared as well as could possibly have been expected.

10 – Juan Cruz González (Argentina XV) What a match for the diminutive playmaker. Magnificent with ball in hand, he came away with two tries, six conversions, and a penalty goal for a personal haul of 25 points against Toulon.

11 – Bautista Delguy (Argentina XV) Played fullback but shifts to the wing for us. Continues to impress with every outing, this time touching down twice against Toulon in another display of out-and-out pace.

12 – Colton Cariaga (USA South Panthers) Not a day for attack-minded midfielders. Earns his spot with some sterling defensive work including a couple smashing hits despite being close to the smallest back on the pitch.

13 – Severiano Escobio (Hindú) Possibly the best center not currently in an Argentine representative side. Showed his class once again putting Sébastian Cancelliere away for a cracking first half try to give his team an early lead.

14 – Rodrigo Etchart (Argentina XV) Strong support play saw him come away with a double as well against the French invaders. Argentina are truly spoiled for choice on the wing at the moment.

15 – Joaquín Díaz Bonilla (Hindú) Returned to his club side from Super Rugby duty and led the team to their third consecutive national title with a win over Tala. Two conversions and a pair of penalty goals were the difference in a hard-fought match at San Isidro.