Team of the Week

In this week’s edition of Team of the Week a range of players make the selection. These include players involved in club activity, test matches and everything in between. Six Pumas make the side while both Canada ‘A’ and the Uruguay XV also feature.

1 – Francisco Ferronato (Belgrano)
Another strong outing from Francisco Ferronato sees him again named in Team of the Week. The Belgrano Loose Head is uncapped and still an amateur. Aged 30 he is not old for a prop and may well have a place in one of the eight teams in the Liga Americana de Rugby which starts in 2020.

2 – Mike Sosene-Feagai (Auckland)
Agustín Creevy was hit-and-miss for Los Pumas in Durban. Earlier in the day USA hooker Mike Sosene-Feagai left his mark in the Mitre 10 Cup in New Zealand. The Auckland front-rower was solid overall at set piece and in defense in his side’s 23-19 provincial victory over Counties-Manukau.

3 – Juan Figallo (Argentina)
A first Rugby Championship appearance since 2013 and Juan Figallo demonstrated his will to play for his country, making 11 tackles in his 61 minutes. The Saracens Tight Head was energetic and highly visible. A notable improvement in the position for Argentina and a stark reminder of the consequence of a Jaguares only selection.

4 – Guido Petti (Argentina)
The mobile Guido Petti is a hybrid forward. He has the height of a tall flanker but the line-out attributes of a tall lock. He is swift with ball in hand and reliable in defense. Against South Africa he delivered a rounded performance, ticking these boxes off.

5 – Jerónimo Ureta (Newman)
In Buenos Aires Jerónimo Ureta was a try scorer for Newman. He was a stand-out in a 38-29 defeat against Alumni. In addition to scoring a try Ureta was also strong in support. He gave selectors reason to consider him for higher honors.

6 – Kyle Baillie (Canada ‘A’)
Back  from injury for Canada, Kyle Baillie had a strong match in France. He returned straight into the striating line-up for Canada ‘A’ in their match against Clermont. Baillie crossed for a try and was very physical in his come back match. It was a good sign for Canada ahead of November’s RWC qualifiers.

7 – Pablo Matera (Argentina)
Argentina and South Africa both caused each other a lot of problems at the breakdown. One one occasion this saw Argentina scoring. The try went to Pablo Matera who supported Ramiro Moyano and showed speed to get to the try line ahead of South African backs.

8 – Pedro Giannini (San Luis)
At the back of the scrum Pablo Giannini was a stand-out for San Luis. The club were 28-24 winners over Regatas and Giannini left his mark everywhere. In a dominant overall performance he left a lasting impression and was also a try scorer.

9 – Gonzalo Bertranou (Argentina)
Recipe Daniel Hourcade is very much history. Mario Ledesma’s game plan is improved and Gonzalo Bertranou has a bright future. Against South Africa he made two clean breaks and was excellent at marshaling the forwards.

10 – Santiago Fernández (Hindú)
The player of the Week in the URBA Top 12 would have to be Santiago Fernández. The former Pumas fly half controlled the game superbly in setting up Hindú’s 21-19 away win over Belgrano. He won Hindú the game with time up thanks to a penalty.

11 – Luca Sábato (Alumni)
Flying high for Alumni was Luca Sábato. The winger is in the form of his life as he is finding his way to the try line with great regularity. He crossed for two tries on Saturday, both of which came in the opening half.

12 – Joaquín Paz (Pucará)
At La Catedral Pucará fell to a one point defeat. In an impressive backline including the of Lucas González Amorosino, Julián Domínguez, Juan Cappiello, and Manuel Montero, Paz played very well. He was a try scorer and furthered his push for higher honors.

13 – Tomás Inciarte (Uruguay XV)
The first try scorer for the Uruguay XV against Córdoba was Tomás Iniciarte. He had a solid match in what was an important fixture for his team. With an eye to the Americas Pacific Challenge and the November Internationals Iniciarte is a name certain to pop up again.

14 – Ramiro Moyano (Argentina)
In addition to aiding Matera’s try, Ramiro Moyano stood out in making two clean breaks and defeating 6 defenders. Overall he made 108 meters with all in hand, more than any Springbok or Wallaby in week one of the Rugby Championship.

15 – Emiliano Boffelli (Argentina)
Playing fullback though acting as a utility back on attack, Emiliano Boffelli caused South Africa many problems. He defeated 5 defenders and made 2 off-loads in the match. This was from 13 carries, a highly impressive return.