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Chile seem to be in a perpetual state of rebuilding and there is no change in that regard as they enter the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship. With Pablo Lemoine taking over as Head Coach in November it’s hoped that some long-term stability with finally arrive. In the meantime the former Teros prop will run the rule over several youngsters as they search for their first ARC victory since the opening match in 2016.
It was a third consecutive Wooden Spoon for the Cóndores in 2018. Since winning their first ever ARC match against Brazil they have lost 14 straight in the competition. Chile came painfully close to ending that streak in their opener last year, losing by only two points to the Tupis in Santiago. It was all downhill after that as they dropped the remaining four matches including a disheartening 67-15 blowout against Uruguay at the Estadio de La Pintana.
RECENT FORM
Following the ARC, Chile competed in the Sudamericano 6 Naciones and actually fared well under interim coach Mark Cross, winning two of three matches including a stunning 97-0 demolition of Paraguay. They then played two matches in November, losing a friendly against a Sudamérica XV and then facing the might of the Māori at Apoquindo.
Last week the team played a warm-up match against the Argentina XV in Buenos Aires. They lost 47-14 but scored two good tries and showed some positive attacking qualities.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
With a dozen players in the squad who have never before played for Chile there are plenty of questions that need answering. Of the seven props named only Vittorio Lastra has been capped before. At the age of 22 he already has 17 caps to his name and now plays his rugby in Italy for Verona. He is strong in the scrum and an agile runner.
Lineout height is always a concern for the Condores and with several leading second rows absent – most notably first choice pair Pablo Huete and Mario Mayol – there is a need for one of the youngsters to step up. Javier Eissmann will be one of the tallest players in the competition at 2.01m (6’7″) but at just 21 he still has plenty of filling out to do. How he adapts to the collisions of test rugby will determine how much playing time he is given.
A new and somewhat mysterious member of the squad is 22-year-old Jaden Laing. Born and raised in Australia to a Chilean mother, he has represented Chile in Rugby League and is currently attending Davenport University in the USA. At 120kg (265lbs) he is an enormous figure but his best position remains a question. Laing has played tighthead prop and inside center for Davenport but is being eyed as a potential No8 by Lemoine.
The midfield as it is will not be short on power. At least one of Vicente Ayarza and Martín Verschae will start. Each tips the scales at 100kg (220lbs) or more though their body types are significantly different – Ayarza much taller with the ability to offload and Verschae compact and difficult to bring down on the charge. The latter plays his rugby professionally in Spain for Independiente, one of only two European professionals to answer the call along with Lastra.
VERDICT
Once again Chile are deprived the majority of their overseas talent. Instead they will look to youth and a few notable reinforcements from their highly competitive sevens team, namely flanker Ignacio Silva, utility back Francisco Urroz, and uncapped winger Julio Blanc. While there are players of potential you cannot keep starting from scratch and expect to win. On paper this is the weakest side by a distance and with their only home games against the top two teams, it doesn’t look like Chile’s ARC losing streak will end any time soon.
FIXTURES
| DATE | LOCAL | ET | OPPONENT | VENUE |
| Sat, Feb 2 | 15:00 | 13:00 | USA | Estadio Santiago Bueras, Maipú |
| Fri, Feb 8 | 20:10 | 18:10 | Uruguay | Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo |
| Fri, Feb 22 | 19:10 | 22:10 | Canada | Westhills Stadium, Langford |
| Sat, Mar 2 | 18:10 | 16:10 | Brazil | tba, São Paulo |
| Sat, Mar 9 | tbd | tbd | Argentina XV | tba, Santiago |
SQUAD
FORWARDS: Javier Carrasco (Old Reds), Matías Dittus (Uni Católica), Mauricio Gómez (Old Lions), Marcelo Huerta (Stade Francais), Vittorio Lastra (Verona, IT), Nicolás Ovalle (Old Boys), Francisco Pizarro (Viña), Augusto Böhme (Uni Católica), Tomás Dussaillant (Old Boys), Bastián Burguener (Sporting), Javier Eissmann (Uni Católica), Thomas Orchard (Old Lions), Clemente Saavedra (Old Boys), Alfonso Escobar (COBS), Jaden Laing (Davenport Panthers, US), Eduardo Orpis (COBS), Javier Richard (COBS), Camilo Sánchez (Old Lions), Martín Sigren (Old Boys), Ignacio Silva (PWCC)
BACKS: Juan Pablo Larenas (Uni Católica), Juan Pablo Perrotta (Uni Católica), Domingo Saavedra (Old Boys), Francisco González Moller (Sporting), Francisco Urroz (Old Reds), Santiago Videla (Old Boys), Vicente Ayarza (Old Boys), Christian Huerta (Stade Francais), Martín Verschae (Independiente, ES), Julio Blanc (Old Boys), Gonzalo Lara (COBS), José Ignacio Larenas (Uni Católica), Tomás Ianiszewski (Old Locks)
