Team of the Week

It’s our final weekly selection of 2018! With most competitions now on Christmas break we’ll return in the New Year. This past week saw the big European competitions chugging along and also the Pro D2 and RFU Championship Cup. Spain’s Liga Heineken got a couple mentions. 

There were two Major League Rugby exhibition matches but both closer resembled training exercises with the scores topping the century mark in each, we felt they were best left alone – with one exception.

1 – Carlos Muzzio (Mont-de-Marsan) Picked up a yellow card at the tail end of the first half but he made up for it by coming back on for a dozen more minutes after being subbed. It was a day for props in damp weather and Muzzio was in the thick of every driving maul.

2 – Bruno Mercanti (Gernika) The Argentine hookers are dominating Spain’s top division. Mercanti is now tied with Martín García Veiga on five tries each after grabbing a double against Independiente. It wasn’t enough for the win but another class outing for the 30-year-old from Bahía Blanca.

3 – Jerónimo Negrotto (Mont-de-Marsan) Came on earlier than expected, taking the field late in the first half. Like Muzzio he was prominent in the tight-loose. His strong leg drive powered Christophe David over for a second half try.

4 – Manuel Leindekar (Oyonnax) Making just his second career start for the senior side and first in the Pro D2, the Uruguayan lighthouse looked very much at home in the engine room of a dominant scrum. Disruptive at the front of the lineout and a strong carry set the platform for Quentin Etienne’s try early in the second half.

5 – Brett Beukeboom (Cornish Pirates) The conditions at the Mennaye were dreadful – cold, wet, and windy. These are the days when the big men up front earn their pay. While not a Championship fixture, London Irish rolled out a full strength side and were summarily turned away by a valiant home effort led by their Canadian captain.

6 – Andrés Zafra (Agen) Came on early in the second half and put in a strong shift to help hold out for a close win over Grenoble. The Colombian is improving with every outing. Will we see him play for the Tucanes in 2019?

7 – Facundo Bosch (Agen) Arguably his club’s best player this season. Has adapted remarkably well to openside flanker and was outstanding on both sides of the ball agains Grenoble. A firm target for Los Pumas as a hooker in 2019 with the World Cup now looking likely.

8 – Andrew Durutalo (Ealing) Not exactly the type of game he thrives in but he did well in the conditions. A constant in support, his role in the final scoring sequence was typical – the first to the breakdown on a long kick ahead, two carries and a second clearout before a third carry put him over the line.

9 – Agustín Ormaechea (Mont-de-Marsan) A day when his leadership was more important than his distribution. Directed the Montois pack to a dominant win over Carcassonne. Aldo Cornejo had another strong match and picked up a try for Independiente.

10 – Nicolás Sánchez (Stade Français) Welcome to Paris! The Pumas star made his club debut and single-handedly secured the win with four penalty goals. Gave his backline plenty of opportunities to run into space and took on the line enough times to keep the defense honest.

11 – Juan Imhoff (Racing 92) The support line for his second try was superb. We say it every week. Imhoff is a world class player who should have twice as many caps as he does. Thankfully the path is now clear for him to resume test duty in 2019. Not soon enough.

12 – Nicolás de Battista (Zebre) Not the most difficult afternoon against Enisei to be fair, but he Argentine didn’t push his luck either. Played a big role in setting his outside backs free and defended well when asked.

13 – Patricio Fernández (Clermont Auvergne) Not one but two backline injuries necessitated his entry at fullback a little over 20 minutes in. We’ve drafted him at outside center as his running ability is more useful there. Another being mentioned by Pumas selectors for possible involvement this coming year.

14 – Shawn Riley (NOLA Gold) The one exception to the otherwise ignored exhibition matches. Riley returned to the professional stage for the first time since 2016 and scored two tries, a reminder that the reach of MLR extends beyond Eagles and overseas exiles.

15 – Will Hooley (Bedford Blues) Played at flyhalf but we’ll have him where we’ve seen him with the Eagles. As with others he was forced to play in terrible conditions but made the adjustment seamlessly. Strong tactical kicking and good decision making won the day at Hartpury.