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

Uruguay
The final hurdle for Uruguay was successfully negotiated. A week before facing Canada in Vancouver Los Teros defeated the Houston Sabercats in Texas on Saturday evening. The 32-24 victory has Uruguay match prepared for the vital RWC qualifying on Saturday January 27th. Tries were scored by Ignacio Dotti, Santiago Arata, Manuel Leindekar, and Diego Magno. Los Teros fielded a side with regular players but it was not full strength lineup. The French-based trio of Felipe Berchesi, Rodrigo Capó Ortega and Agustin Ormaechea are to join the team in Vancouver on Monday.

New Orleans Gold
The New Orleans Gold have their first match in the history books as they defeated the Capital Selects by 68-15 at Gretna Park on Saturday afternoon. Ten tries in all came from the home side with JP Eloff contributing 23 points including a nine-from-ten kicking performance from the tee. Eloff was joined by Eagle prop Ben Tarr and a pair of Chileans in Sebastián Kalm and Nikola Bursic. The Selects move on to face Stars Rugby next weekend before a tilt with the Houston SaberCats on February 3. NOLA’s next scheduled game is also against the SaberCats albeit not until February 24.

Olivia Apps
Age-grade standout Olivia Apps will make her senior Canadian debut at the upcoming Sydney Sevens. The 19-year-old Queen’s University student is the only change on John Tait’s roster from the team that finished 4th in Dubai last month. Leading the way once again will be Ghislaine Landry, the all-time leading scorer on the Women’s Series with 875 career points. Her push to become the first women’s player to achieve 1,000 may have to wait until next season with only four stops left on this year’s circuit. Other Olympic Bronze winners named include Rio captain Jen Kish, Britt Benn, Hannah Darling, Megan Lukan, Kayla Moleschi, and Natasha Watcham-Roy.

Americas Representation in European Champions Cup Quarter Finals
The Americas will be represented in the Quarter Finals of the Champions Cup. Given who the eight teams to have advanced from the Pool Stage the prospects of having Americas players appearing in future matches is extremely high. USA players Samu Manoa and Chris Wyles are on track to play. Pumas Patricio Albacete, Marcelo Bosch, Manuel Carizza, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, Juan Figallo, Juan Imhoff and Facundo Isa are all possibilities. In addition Patricio Fernández and Titi Lamositele may both be back playing in time for the play-off’s during the final weekend of March.

UNDER

Canada Injuries
Canada have been dealt a significant blow ahead their Americas 2 World Cup Qualifying series against Uruguay. First choice professionals Kyle Baillie and Shane O’Leary have been ruled out of the first test to be played at BC Place in Vancouver on Saturday. It is uncertain whether either will be fit to play for the second leg in Montevideo. The crucial flyhalf position now falls to either Patrick Parfrey or Connor Braid. Options for Baillie’s blindside flank role appear to be Evan Olmstead, Lucas Rumball, or Admir Cejvanovic.

Rodrigo Bruni
Rodrigo Bruni is in doubt to face the USA in the ARC opener. The Argentina XV no 8 is in a race against time to be fit for the match against the Eagles in Los Angeles on Saturday February 03. The San Luis back-rower was one of eight invitational players named by Mario Ledesma for Los Jaguares. Both he and the fellow uncapped back-rowers Francisco Gorrissen and Santiago Montagner are among the bright prospects for the Argentina XV in the upcoming Americas Rugby Championship. Santiago Portillo,  Tomás de la Vega and Lautaro Bavaro are additional back-rowers on the roster. The trio carry greater experience in the set-up.

Jaguares Props
The stocks of props at Los Jaguares is beyond running low. Cristian Bartoloni, Facundo Gigena, Ramiro Herrera and Lucas Noguera Paz have all left the national franchise to play in Europe. This leaves Felipe Arregui, Santiago García Botta, Enrique Pieretto, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro as the contracted Jaguares props. Pieretto, though, is out for the season. Non-contracted players Franco Brarda, Javier Díaz, Nicolás Leiva and Juan Pablo Zeiss are to be used as cover. None have prior experience for either Los Jaguares or Los Pumas.

Super Rugby in Los Angeles
The Super Rugby warm-up match between the Bulls and Stormers will no longer be played in Los Angeles. According to AEG Rugby Director Dan Lyle the fixture was cancelled due to a lack of available flights on short notice. While the blame appears to fall on both sides of the Atlantic, one does wonder if this will have a negative affect on the to-be-announced match between Wales and South Africa earmarked for June 4. In the meantime ‘International Rugby Saturday’ will still go on at the StubHub Center, with a collegiate match between UCLA and Arizona taking the curtain-raising spot before the USA plays against the Argentina XV.