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Uruguay’s four match tour of Europe begins in Wales on Tuesday. In a return to decades gone by the Cardiff Blues will play host to Uruguay in a mid-week match.
The teams are unfamiliar to one another though they carry a connection. Uruguay faced Wales in Cardiff in the opening match for both competitors during RWC 2015. For RWC 2019 they will meet again, this time doing so in Kumamoto, Japan.
The Cardiff Blues are one of four professional rugby teams from Wales. Known as regions, the four sides represent all of Wales’ territory. Uruguay’s opponents cover a large territory which has the basis and home venue in the national capital.
The venue for Tuesday’s fixture is Arms Park. It sits behind the Millennium Stadium, the same venue which hosted Wales vs Uruguay in RWC 2015.
RWC 2019 organizers have given Uruguay a challenging match schedule. Los Teros’ matches against Fiji and Georgia have the minus three rest days between them. To prepare for the challenge Uruguay are using their matches against the Cardiff Blues and Ulster in the same way.
The line-up named by Uruguay sees Santiago Arata, Leandro Leivas and Juan Manuel Cat as the starting first-choice backs. Captain Juan Manuel Gaminara is one of three first choice forwards starting the match for Uruguay.
For the Cardiff Blues Dan Fish will make his 100th appearance in the fixture. Fish leads a side featuring many wider roster and academy players. Not included are the Cardiff Blues’ Welsh test players who are on international duty. USA players Blaine Scully, and Samu Manoa are in Spain preparing with the Eagles.
The Cardiff Blues are a fully professional side. Uruguay’s team is the closest to a full-strength side than ever before. The move to professionalism is underway and there are players recently contracted to Major League Rugby.
The status of the players involved means the Cardiff Blues go into the game as favorites. Uruguay are more than capable of winning. Their victory in Vancouver earlier this year underlined what Los Teros are capable of.
CARDIFF BLUES
15 Matthew Morgan, 14 Aled Summerhill, 13 Harri Millard, 12 Max Llewellyn, 11 Cam Lewis, 10 Dan Fish (capt), 9 Lewis Jones, 8 Alun Lawrence, 7 Sion Bennett, 6 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 5 Rory Thornton, 4 James Down, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Liam Belcher, 1 Rhys Carre
Replacements: 16 Ethan Lewis, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 Will Davies-King, 19 Miles Normandale, 20 Ioan Rhys Davies, 21 Jamie Hill, 22 Ben Thomas, 23 Ioan Davies, 24 Peter Lloyd
URUGUAY
15 Gastón Mieres, 14 Leandro Levias, 13 Juan Manuel Cat, 12 Agustín Della Corte, 11 Federico Favaro, 10 Rodrigo Silva, 9 Santiago Arata, 8 Manuel Diana, 7 Leandro Segredo, 6 Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt.), 5 Manuel Leindekar, 4 Ignacio Dotti, 3 Juan Echeverría, 2 Germán Kessler, 1 Matías Benítez
Replacements: 16 Facundo Gattas, 17 Mateo Sanguinetti, 18 Juan Pablo Rombys, 19 Manuel Ardao, 20 Diego Magno, 21 Juan Diego Ormaechea, 22 Tomás Iniciarte, 23 Andrés Vilaseca, 24 Felipe Berchesi
Date: Tuesday, November 6
Kick-Off: 19:00 local (14:00 Eastern, 16:00 Montevideo)
Venue: Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Broadcast: BBC Two Wales, BBC Sport (Web)
