Uruguay Go to Brazil Without European-Based Players

Hot off qualifying for RWC 2019, Uruguay are now preparing to face Brazil. The fixture in São Paulo this coming Friday will their second of the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship. Uruguay has confirmed the 23-man roster with a feature point being that it is without European-based players.

Uruguay sealed their place in Pool D of RWC 2029 by defeating Canada on Saturday. The win in Montevideo was the second of two RWC 2019 qualifiers between the countries. Game one was played seven days prior in Vancouver with Uruguay also running away as winners.

Involved in the two-match seriers were five European-based players – Felipe Berchesi, Rodrigo Capó Ortega, Franco Lamanna, Manuel Leindekar, and Agustín Ormaechea. All of them play their rugby in France.

The ARC now continues on. Uruguay’s home-based talent have been charged with continuing the campaign. It is the unofficial start of building towards RWC 2019. For all involved it is their first opportunity to press for places in the roster to represent the South American country in Japan.

Recalled to the squad are three forwards. Veteran lock Diego Ayala steps in to add bulk in the absence of Capo Ortega and Leindekar, while in the back row are two promising youngsters in Gonzalo Soto and Manuel Diana.

More creativity has been required in the backs. With Ormaechea unavailable and Santiago Arata out with a shoulder injury Germán Albanell is set to step in. The 29-year-old began his test career in 2013 as a scrumhalf but played flyhalf throughout 2017.

Meanwhile Old Christians pair Manuel Blengio and Andrés De Leon have been called up to cover at No10. Blengio missed the entirety of 2017 while the uncapped De Leon impressed in domestic play last year and was considered unlucky not to be included on the tour to Namibia. Fullback Rodrigo Silva appears to be the cover at scrumhalf having started two tests at the position in 2015.

In the midfield 2017 Teritos captain Agustín Della Corte replaces Andrés Vilaseca, and uncapped 21-year-old Tomás Inciarte covers wing in the absence of Nicolás Freitas and Leandro Leivas. With only nine backs named the Teros are set to use a 6-2 split on the replacements bench.

A detailed roster list can be seen here.

URUGUAY
Matías Benítez, Juan Echeverría, Mario Sagario, Mateo Sanguinetti, Germán Kessler, Carlos Pombo, Diego Ayala, Ignacio Dotti, Diego Magno, Manuel Diana, Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt.), Rodolfo Garese, Alejandro Nieto, Gonzalo Soto

BACKS
Germán Albanell, Manuel Blengio, Andrés De León, Juan Manuel Cat, Agustín Della Corte, Joaquín Prada, Tomás Inciarte, Gastón Mieres, Rodrigo Silva