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The season is over in the Celtic-Italian-South African League for players from the Western Hemisphere. This past weekend’s Semi Finals of the Pro 14 saw Americas players all eliminated for the season.
It is to be a Celtic classic in the final, one putting together the best Irish province against the best Welsh region. Leinster will have home advantage, by default, against the Scarlets. The venue choice for the final was made long ago.
Dublin’s Aviva Stadium also hosted the 2017 Pro 14 Final with the Scarlets defeating Munster 46-22. The match saw Canadian flier DTH van der Merwe winning a second title in the then Celtic-Italian League. His prior victory came in the 2015 Final for the Glasgow Warriors.
Following the 2017 Final, van der Merwe moved to England to join the Newcastle Falcons. With him not receiving regular game time he moved on to the Glasgow Warriors and slotted straight back into the side.
The Glasgow Warriors hosted the Scarlets in a Semi Final this past weekend. van der Merwe and Tennessee’s Tommy Seymour were the wingers for the Scottish side. The Scarlets won to advance to the final against Leinster who defeated Munster in the other Semi Final.
Next season’s Pro 14 season will see van der Merwe’s former teammate Juan Pablo Socino playing for Edinburgh. Additional player movement involving Americas players sees two other Argentine players on their way to play in the competition. Guido Volpi becomes Argentina’s first ever player at the Ospreys while Nicolas de Battista joins Zebre from the Cornish Pirates.
