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

Colombia
Colombia downed Venezuela to win the South American B Championship. Played on Saturday in Medellín, Los Tucanes won 53-15 thanks to a superb second half performance. The win came despite a great start for Venezuela who were competitive in the opening half. Ultimately, though, Colombia’s class was on show. A superb try from winger Brayan Campiño got them on the board. Centers José Diosa and Sebastián Zurique both scored well taken tries. But it was captain Sebastián Mejía who scored the game changer. Leading from the front the No 8 scored Colombia’s opening try of the second half. Five more would follow, the last of which saw score by fullback Andrés Álvarez.

Argentina XV Following Pampas XV
Plans are underway for the Argentina XV to play in the Currie Cup. The official national ‘A’ side is in need of increased opportunities and efforts are advanced for the team to play in the South African domestic league beginning in 2019. The move is also motivated significantly by a serious problem requiring urgent attention – Super Rugby. Argentina has Los Jaguares as their one and only side in the competition. Plans had been for a second side to join in 2019 though now 2020 has emerged as the realistic time. In joining the Currie Cup the Argentina XV would replicate the former Pampas XV. From there the team would develop into Argentina’s second Super Rugby franchise, potentially based in northern Argentina.

Professional Plans for Brazil and Uruguay
Professional plans are developing for Uruguay and Brazil. While the Argentina XV is being directed to South Africa so are Uruguay and Brazil. The vision is for the leading players to combine to field a team in the Rugby Challenge, South Africa’s third division competition. Unión de Rugby del Uruguay (URU) President Sebastián Piñeyrúa noted that the URU wants for players to compete for three months in South Africa. With it they would be full-time players, thereby genuine semi-professionals. It would be the official birth of another Pampas XV, this time north of the Rio de la Plata.

Andrew Durutalo
Andrew Durutalo has traded up from the Ealing Trailfinders to the Worcester Warriors. In other words he has gone from the Greene King IPA Championship to the Aviva Premiership. This sees him joining Joe Taufete’e on the roster and playing under incoming Eagles Head Coach Gary Gold. With it there are now seven US Eagles on Premiership contracts. Durutalo and Taufete’e were preceded by Chris Wyles and Titi Lamositele at Saracens, and AJ MacGinty at Sale. Chris Baumann joined Leicester Tigers earlier this season and Nick Civetta is at Newcastle Falcons though currently on loan to Championship club Doncaster to get more game time. An eighth player, Paddy Ryan, has been on trial at Bath but has yet to sign a formal contract.

Juan Ignacio Brex
On Saturday Juan Ignacio Brex went over for his first Champions Cup try. Playing outside center for Benetton Treviso the former Argentina XV back was a part of the 29-30 loss against former champions, Toulon. He was up against two big-name Pumas – Facundo Isa and Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe. The back-row pairing have two wins from as many matches in Europe this season. The same is true of USA legend Chris Wyles. The former Eagles captain scored in a winning effort against the Ospreys.

Benjamín Madero
SIC completed an amazing comeback today to win El Clásico. Having been 30-10 down, SIC won the battle of San Isidro, defeating CASI 31-30. The stunning win came from a converted try from former Puma Benjamín Madero. The score was a remarkable 27-phase try which started in SIC’s in-goal and finished with Madero replicating Juan Imhoff against Ireland. Winning El Clásico is of vital interest to players, supporters and, most importantly, the families of all involved. It is one of the fiercest club rivalries rivalries that exist anywhere in the world.

Brantford Harlequins
It’s two in a row for the Harlequins as they wrapped up a nearly perfect season in style by defeating the Balmy Beach by 40-27 on Saturday to lift the McCormick Cup as Ontario’s champions once again. An entertaining contest played in ideal conditions at Fletcher’s Fields saw nine tries scored between the two sides. A draw with London Scottish in August was the only match that the Harlequins did not find victory this season and their unbeaten run now stretches back to the beginning of 2016, an incredible 33 games across Marshall Premiership and post-season fixtures. This is the first time the club have won back-to-back titles and the fifth time they have been crowned champions in the 67 year history of the competition.

Emiliano Boffelli
An Argentine outside back has been nominated by World Rugby for Breakthrough Player of the Year. Emiliano Boffelli is one of three nominees for the prestigious award along with New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane and France midfielder Damian Penaud. The winner will be announced by World Rugby on November 11. Boffelli made his test debut in June after returning to action during the Americas Rugby Championship following a long-term absence due to a knee injury. His strong attacking play and long-range goal kicking have seen him start eight test matches this year with and mark him as a potential star of the future.

 

UNDER

No Rugby Championship Expansion
There is to be no Rugby Championship expansion. Speculation of a new format for the Southern Hemisphere’s premier international competition has pointed to possibly adding Fiji or Japan. However no teams are to be added. The new international calendar (2020-2030) will not permit additional matches. Adding another team is therefore out of the question. New Zealand has also openly declared that Japan is not competitive enough. Joining will only happen should South Africa follow though on speculation and quit the Rugby Championship.

Chile
Plans are advanced for the Argentina XV, Brazil and Uruguay. Their development path has South Africa as the destination. What about Chile? A bottom placed finish in the Americas Rugby Championship raised questions of the process in the country. This followed alarm bells from former Head Coach Paul Healy back in December 2015. Chile is close to officially being overtaken by Brazil in South America. The upcoming tour to Asia and Europe has been a long time in the making. It is not the end point though, rather just another stage.

Gastón Arias
While SIC won they really would not have done so. The lucky escape took a 21 point comeback and a miracle 27-phase try. It also took 14 players rather than 15. Fullback Gastón Arias had been red carded in the first half. His action was diving with his knee as Mauro Perotti scored for CASI. Referee Federico Anselmi explained to Arias that his action was reckless and dangerous and sent him off. It was, without question the correct decision.

Camille Lopez
Clermont has two fly halves. They are Camille Lopez and Patricio Fernández. The former is France’s leading player in the position. Realistically there are no others of his level today. Playing against the Northampton Saints on Saturday he suffered a broken ankle. He now faces at least 5 months out of action. France, thereby needs another player for both the November Internationals and Six Nations. Clermont were without Argentina’s Fernández against Northampton. But he is to now play with more regularity than ever before. Oddly enough Clermont need him more than Los Pumas, a striking change indeed.

Eduardo Bello
Argentina XV prop Eduardo Bello started in the European Challenge Cup this weekend. He did so for Italian side Zebre who had home advantage against France’s Pau. Bello was yellow carded in the 63rd minute. His loss contributed in no small part to Zebre losing the lead and ultimately the match. Pau were in no position to win yet came out on top.