Match Preview – Germany vs Chile

A match that should have been an entertaining and competitive contest between two closely-ranked sides has instead turned into a bit of a sideshow with the entirety of the German senior squad announcing on Tuesday that they were withdrawing from this weekend’s match in protest of the German Rugby Union (DRV) who are currently embroiled in a disagreement with primary German rugby financier Hans-Peter Wild. It is effectively a strike, though the players are technically employed by Wild’s GFR management firm, and it has forced the DRV to call in a completely new squad of players and in fact a new coach as well with national sevens director Vuyo Zangqa pressed into emergency double-duty.

The timing of the announcement is bewildering and far from ideal for the Cóndores. Though they will be happy to take the World Rugby Rankings points on offer it will be a hollow victory should be prevail as anticipated, and one does wonder if the German players had considered the consequences of their actions on their opponents at all. Certainly the incident does not paint German rugby in a positive light and no parties involved are beyond the charge of bringing the game into disrepute.

There have been further changes to the German squad even since the replacement group was named, with Matthias Schösser, Nikolai Klewinghaus, and Wynston Cameron-Dow all dropping out. That leaves Frankfurt hooker Marcel Becker as the only remaining player from the original extended squad named for the November test series.

It has left Germany with just eight players with test experience, with props Marcus Bender and Paul Weiss the only capped forwards. SG Odin utility back Rafael Pyrasch, who has won caps at both wing and fullback, will play scrumhalf and act as captain for the makeshift XV.

Other players with previous senior experience include flyhalf Fabian Heimpel, winger Phil Szczesny, fullback Bastian Himmer, reserve scrumhalf Daniel Koch, and midfielder Carlos Soteras-Merz. Blue Bulls u20 flanker Luke Haynes has arrived from South Africa, and former Natal age grade front rower Senzo Ngubane debuts after qualifying on residency. Sevens standout Sebastian Fromm plays his rugby for Trinity College in Dublin.

To Chile’s credit they have not allowed the German dissent to disrupt their own preparations. After resting several key players in the defeat to Russia they have returned to their strongest available side. There is one notable alteration with 21-year-old Vittorio Lastra selected at loosehead prop ahead of the experience Claudio Zamorano. Lastra has impressed both with his scrum work and mobility in the loose during the Cup of Nations.

With no previous tests played between the two sides it would normally be difficult to predict a result but under the unfortunate circumstances it’s hard to see anything but a convincing win for the Cóndores. Indeed it could be said they are in a no-win situation as a victory against a team of third string players at best that has only had two days to prepare can hardly be considered an historic achievement.

Nonetheless the Chileans have an opportunity to represent themselves and their country with dignity. Certainly that is all that can be asked of a team left to play the role of uncomfortable observer in a week that should have been a celebration of rugby fraternity.

[ED. NOTE: Actual numbers at game time for Germany will differ as their jersey attribution has been inconsistent with conventional practices. Below represents their playing position.]

GERMANY
1 Marcus Bender, 2 Gino Gennaro, 3 Paul Weiss, 4 Max Reinhard, 5 Robert Lehmann, 6 Rafael Dutta, 7 Luke Haynes, 8 Carsten Lang, 9 Rafael Pyrasch (capt.), 10 Fabian Heimpel, 11 Tim Lichtenberg, 12 Kain Rix, 13 Robin Plümpe, 14 Phil Szczesny, 15 Bastian Himmer

Replacements: 16 Marcel Becker, 17 Senzo Ngubane, 18 Felix Martel, 19 Benedikt Sabinarz, 20 Stefan Mau, 21 Daniel Koch, 22 Sebastian Fromm, 23 Carlos Soteras-Merz

CHILE
1 Vittorio Lastra, 2 Tomás Dussaillant, 3 José Tomás Munita, 4 Nikola Bursic, 5 Mario Mayol, 6 Javier Richard, 7 Anton Petrowitsch, 8 Benjamín Soto, 9 Juan Pablo Perrotta, 10 Santiago Videla, 11 Franco Velarde, 12 Francisco de la Fuente, 13 José Ignacio Larenas (capt.), 14 Mauricio Urrutia, 15 Tomás Ianiszewski

Replacements: 16 Ignacio Guajardo, 17 Claudio Zamorano, 18 Marco Díaz, 19 Raimundo Piwonka, 20 Manuel Dagnino, 21 Sergio Bascuñan, 22 Benjamín Pizarro, 23 Matías Balbontín

Date: Saturday, November 25
Venue: Sparda Bank Hessen Stadion, Offenbach
Kickoff: 15:00 local (09:00 Eastern, 11:00 Chile)
Referee: Dan Jones (WRU)
Assistants: Gwyn Morris (WRU) & Aled Evans (WRU)
Broadcasts: sport1