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The 2018 Nations Cup gets underway on Saturday in Uruguay. Competing in the opening fixture will be the Argentina XV and Emerging Italy, the respective ‘A’ sides of Tier 1 unions Argentina and Italy.
Felipe Contepomi’s Argentina XV team is a line-up far closer to the genuine article than that used during the recent Sudamericano 6 Naciones A tournament. Six Super Rugby players past or present will play – Tomás Cubelli, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Ignacio Larrague, Benjamín Macome, Matías Moroni, and Manuel Montero.
Four of them are to start, doing so under the captaincy of flanker Lautaro Bavaro. Another fringe Jaguares player, Santiago Portillo joins him and Macome in the back-row.
Cubelli is the notable starter among the backs. With Gonzalo Bertranou firmly above Martín Landajo at Los Jaguares it means a return for Cubelli to either Los Jaguares or Los Pumas is not certain. Cubelli joins Tomás Granola in the halves, with him preferred to Díaz Bonilla.
In addition to Cubelli Moroni is the other notable starting player in the backs. They are to be joined by emerging players including Santiago Resino who was the stand-out Argentina XV back in this year’s Americas Rugby Championship.
Emerging Italy have a roster comprised mainly of Eccellenza players. That is to say players who play in Italy’s domestic competition. There are, however, four players from elsewhere. They are Benetton Treviso winger Andrea Bronzini, the Zebre pairing of Maicol Azzolini and Luhandre Luus and Clermont espoir Charly Trussardi.
Trussardi will play opposite Cubelli in a match-up of note. The real battle of this game, though, looms as being the front-rows. Lucas Favre, Diego Fortuny, and Franco Brarda need to get the better of George Iacob, Luhandre Luus, and Riccardo Brugnara or problems from the 2017 fixture between the sides may return to dominate the match.
There have been six prior meetings between the Argentina XV and Emerging Italy. Of these the Argentina XV has the better record – 4 wins (26-11 in 2006, 27-20 in 2007, 40-30 in 2016, and 15-10 in 2017). Emerging Italy has 2 victories (22-20 in 2010, and 26-6 in 2013).
The Argentina XV enter the match as favorites. They do so on the back of their comparative history combined with the strength of their roster. A win by 15 points or more is expected.
ARGENTINA XV
15 Gastón Arias, 14 Facundo Cordero, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Tomás Videla, 11 Santiago Resino, 10 Tomás Granella, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Santiago Portillo, 7 Lautaro Bavaro (capt.), 6 Benjamín Macome, 5 Ignacio Larrague, 4 Federico Guttiérrez, 3 Lucas Favre, 2 Diego Fortuny, 1 Franco Brarda
Replacements: 16 Gaspar Baldunciel, 17 Nicolás Solveyra, 18 Marco Ciccioli, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Rodrigo Bruni, 21 Gregorio del Prete, 22 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 23 Manuel Montero
EMERGING ITALY
15 Massimo Cioffi, 14 Andrea Bronzini, 13 Marco Zanon, 12 Matteo Gabbianelli, 11 Pierre Bruno, 10 Andrea Menniti-Ippolito, 9 Charly Trussardi, 8 Andrea Trotta, 7 Federico Conforti, 6 Giovami Pettinelli, 5 Samuele Ortis, 4 Ugo D’Onofrio, 3 George Iacob, 2 Luhandre Luus, 1 Riccardo Brugnara
Replacements: 16 Niccolò Zago, 17 Nicolò Broglia, 18 Jody Rossetto, 19 Davide Fragnito, 20 Matteo Cornelli,21 Simone Parisotto, 22 Maicol Azzolini, 23 Simone Balocchi
Date: Saturday June 02
Kick-off: 12:30pm
Venue: Club Carrasco Polo, Montevideo
Broadcast: World Rugby
Referee: Shota Tevzadze (Georgia)
Assistant Referees: Francisco González (Uruguay), Gonzalo Ventoso (Uruguay)
