The Debutants – Class of 2018

Each year brings a new crop of talent to international rugby and 2018 had plenty of newcomers. Between the six countries represented in the Americas Rugby Championship there were 66 players handed their first senior caps over the past 12 months. Their ages ranged from 18 to 31 with five players earning their first cap before the age of 20 and two debuting after the age of 30. Below is a team-by-team look in order of most new caps to least.

 

CHILE (20)

Part of Chile’s struggles at senior level in recent years almost certainly revolve around inconsistency in selection. That in itself requires a separate article but the past year saw the introduction of an incredible 20 new players to senior international level. It’s worth noting that Chile awards caps for all Cóndores matches, including non-tests against the Argentina XV, Uruguay XV, and New Zealand Maori.

More comforting to Chilean fans is the knowledge that only four of the newcomers this year were over the age of 23. This should pay off in the future, with many players recent graduates of the national u20 program that has produced no shortage of talent.

Among the more promising newcomers are a pair of highly-rated front rowers in Salvador Lues and Augusto Böhme. The former was the youngest player to debut this year, making his full test debut one week after his maiden Cóndores outing. He has since joined the Toulouse academy.

The loose forwards also received a boost with u20 captain Alfonso Escobar appearing in all nine matches for the Cóndores. Nicolás Garafulic impressed in the Americas Rugby Championship, and Clemente Saavedra took his first steps at senior international level following in the footsteps of twin brother Domingo, a scrumhalf. Both are expected to be in the Chilean side for years to come.

Marcelo Torrealba has been one of his country’s best sevens players in the past couple years but has now switched his focus to XVs. He debuted against the Maori in November and has now signed for Austin Elite in Major League Rugby. Lucas Westcott is another sevens standout who made his first appearance in the full version this year.

Two others with family connections broke through in the midfield. Vicente Ayarza is big man of well beyond 100kg (220lbs) whose brother Ramón is a prop for Bayonne in France. Tomás Contreras started against the Maori with his twin brother Vicente, a flanker, also in the senior training group.

POS	NAME	DEBUT	AGE	CAPS
LH	Díaz, Basilio	02/17 vs USA	23	3
LH	Pérez-Acle, José Tomás	05/19 vs Paraguay	20	1
LH	Thompson, Oliver	05/05 vs Brazil	27	4
HO	Böhme, Augusto	11/17 vs NZ Maori	21	1
HO	Lues, Salvador	05/12 vs Uruguay XV	18	2
TH	Iturra, Claudio	02/10 vs Argentina XV	30	3
LO	Orchard, Thomas	02/10 vs Argentina XV	21	2
FL	de Urruticoechea, Iñaki	02/17 vs USA	21	1
FL	Escobar, Alfonso	02/03 vs Brazil	20	9
FL	Garafulic, Nicolás	02/03 vs Brazil	19	3
N8	Saavedra, Clemente	05/12 vs Uruguay XV	20	2
SH	Torrealba, Marcelo	11/17 vs NZ Maori	22	1
FH	Baraona, José Tomás	02/10 vs Argentina XV	25	3
FH	Maturana, José Tomás	02/17 vs USA	24	3
CE	Avelli, Lucca	02/03 vs Brazil	20	6
CE	Ayarza, Vicente	05/12 vs Uruguay XV	22	2
CE	Contreras, Tomás	11/17 vs NZ Maori	20	1
CE	Ramírez, Diego	02/10 vs Argentina XV	20	3
CE	Steinsapir, Nicolás	05/12 vs Uruguay XV	21	2
WI	Westcott, Lucas	05/05 vs Brazil	22	1

 

USA (16)

The Eagles also had a high number of new players, perhaps to be expected with a new coach in Gary Gold. Their makeup was slightly different however, with their newcomers tending to be more polished players who are immediately in World Cup contention. Even the two youngsters – David Ainu’u and Ruben de Haas – are now seen as having better-than-average odds at making the trip to Japan in 2019.

Three players jumped straight into first choice test contention. Paul Mullen has all but sealed his spot as starting tighthead prop while Paul Lasike is the undisputed holder of the No12 shirt after blasting his way to a Premiership contract with Harlequins. Former England u20 cap Will Hooley made himself available for Eagles selection this year and hasn’t disappointed, stepping up to kick the winning points in the first-ever test victory over Samoa.

POS	NAME	DEBUT	AGE	CAPS
LH	Ainu’u, David	11/10 vs Samoa	18	2
LH	Wenglewski, Chance	11/24 vs Ireland	21	1
HO	Fawsitt, Dylan	02/17 vs Chile	27	7
TH	Mullen, Paul	06/09 vs Russia	26	6
LO	Daly, Brendan	02/17 vs Chile	27	2
FL	Toluta’u, Vili	06/23 vs Canada	24	1
FL	Wooching, Psalm	02/17 vs Chile	24	4
N8	Al-Jiboori, Malon	02/17 vs Chile	20	1
SH	Boyer, Nick	11/17 vs Romania	25	1
SH	de Haas, Ruben	02/17 vs Chile	19	7
SH	Ferris, Devereaux	11/10 vs Samoa	24	1
FH	Hooley, Will	02/10 vs Canada	24	6
CE	Audsley, Dylan	02/10 vs Canada	24	6
CE	Lasike, Paul	02/17 vs Chile	27	9
WI	Moore, Gannon	11/10 vs Samoa	28	2
WI	Whippy, Josh	02/10 vs Canada	27	4

 

ARGENTINA (11)

Los Pumas also had a change of coach in 2018 with Mario Ledesma replacing Daniel Hourcade. Half of the new players were capped under Hourcade and it could be argued that those who came later would have eventually made it anyway though Ledesma may have expedited their promotion.

The installation of Santiago Medrano as tighthead prop is notable though it is highly unlikely he will hold the starting shirt at the World Cup. Facundo Bosch has been in top form for his club in France and his selection suggests Japan is in his future, so too Rodrigo Bruni, the San Luis star who has shown consistent progress over the past three seasons.

With an impressive stable of outside backs already in place there were two significant additions in 2018. Bautista Delguy performed as well as expected after starring with the Pumitas and then the Jaguares.

POS	NAME	DEBUT	AGE	CAPS
LH	Díaz, Javier	06/09 vs Wales	22	3
LH	Zeiss, Juan Pablo	09/15 vs New Zealand	29	6
HO	Bosch, Facundo	08/25 vs South Africa	27	1
HO	Fortuny, Diego	08/18 vs South Africa	26	1
TH	Medrano, Santiago	06/09 vs Wales	22	11
TH	Sordoni, Lucio	11/10 vs Ireland	20	2
N8	Bruni, Rodrigo	11/10 vs Ireland	25	3
FH	Díaz Bonilla, Joaquín	11/10 vs Ireland	28	1
CE	Ezcurra, Bautista	06/23 vs Scotland	23	5
WI	Delguy, Bautista	06/09 vs Wales	21	11
FB	Mallía, Juan Cruz	06/23 vs Scotland	21	4

 

CANADA (10)

World Cup qualification was the priority for Canada, which they ultimately achieved, but they needed the help of some new players to do so. Two newcomers played key roles in the Repechage competition. Arrows captain Mike Sheppard finally made his test debut while the electric Theo Sauder lived up the hype surrounding him since his age-grade days.

Luke Campbell was the preferred No8 for half of the year in the absence of Tyler Ardron, and Doug Fraser leveraged his new test status into an MLR contract to join another new cap Cam Polson and reportedly Noah Barker. France-born Martial Lagain marked both the beginning and the end of his test career in 2018. The oldest new cap of the ARC sides confirmed his retirement from representative rugby following the conclusion of the Canadian Rugby Championship.

POS	NAME	DEBUT	AGE	CAPS
LH	Barker, Noah	03/03 vs Chile	25	4
HO	Lagain, Martial	02/17 vs Brazil	31	2
LO	Polson, Cam	02/17 vs Brazil	28	2
LO	Sheppard, Mike	11/11 vs Kenya	29	3
FL	Dobravsky, Dustin	02/10 vs USA	26	6
N8	Campbell, Luke	02/10 vs USA	26	6
SH	Sandover-Best, Jorden	06/16 vs Russia	23	1
CE	Fraser, Doug	02/17 vs Brazil	25	3
FB	Sauder, Theo	06/09 vs Scotland	22	5
FB	Thiel, Josh	03/03 vs Chile	20	1

 

URUGUAY (5)

Esteban Meneses has shown both restraint and consistency when it comes to selection since taking over Los Teros in 2016. Once again he has limited the number of new players in his squad with an eye towards maximising test experience and cohesion in his side ahead of RWC 2019.

Halfbacks Tomás Inciarte and Andrés De León showed when given opportunities and both are in World Cup contention. The same cannot quite be said with a degree of certainty regarding the two latecomers Manuel Ardao and Guillermo Pujadas. Ardao is a flanker who only switched to hooker in the second part of the year while Pujadas is ordinarily a prop and likely to continue in that position in the future.

POS	NAME	DEBUT	AGE	CAPS
HO	Ardao, Manuel	11/17 vs Fiji	20	1
HO	Pujadas, Guillermo	11/17 vs Fiji	21	1
LO	Etcheverry, Juan Manuel	02/24 vs Chile	23	1
SH	Inciarte, Tomás	02/09 vs Brazil	21	5
FH	De León, Andrés	02/09 vs Brazil	25	3

 

BRAZIL (4)

Similarly conservative when it comes to bringing in new players is Tupis coach Rodolfo Ambrosio. Only four players made their test debuts for his team this year, though a handful of others were given opportunities in non-cap internationals. Most notably Matteo Dell’Acqua and Devon Müller bolstered the forward pack against the Maori in November. Both should make their test bows early in 2019.

Angelo Marcucci is an Argentine flanker who is looking to provide depth at hooker, while Valentin Garcia returned from France to add a powerful running option in the midfield. The two youngsters – Matheus Claudio and Daniel Lima – are among the more promising players to emerge from Brazil’s regional academy and age grade system.

POS	NAME	DEBUT	AGE	CAPS
HO	Marcucci, Angelo	02/24 vs USA	28	1
N8	Claudio, Matheus	05/05 vs Chile	19	1
SH	Lima, Daniel	02/24 vs USA	20	2
CE	Garcia, Valentin	05/19 vs Colombia	26	1