ARC Preview – Argentina XV vs USA

For a second straight week Patagonia will host an Americas Rugby Championship match, this one just a short drive from Neuquén at Marabunta Rugby Club in Cipolletti. At stake is likely top spot in the competition as the only two teams to have won the competition go head-to-head. The USA are aiming for their third consecutive ARC title and they’ll have to beat the Argentina XV on their home soil to do so.

As expected it’s almost identical rosters for both sides. Gary Gold has made no secret that he prefers continuity and the only change to the Eagles side that thrashed Chile last weekend comes on the bench where Dylan Fawsitt replaces James Hilterbrand as reserve hooker.

Ignacio Fernández Lobbe has criticised the constant changing of previous Argentina XV sides and the coach has stuck to his word. The run-on side is exactly the same one that ran through Brazil with three changes among the replacements.

There are two new props as Javier Corvalán is ruled out through injury and Martín Fernández Segurotti is left out completely. CASI prospect Marco Ciccioli comes in for the latter as tighthead cover and there is a surprise inclusion in the No17 jersey. Santiago García Botta started all three tests at loosehead for Los Pumas in November but is now suddenly out of favor and has been sent from the Jaguares camp.

The other change sees former Pumitas standout Teo Castiglioni taking the spot of Martín Roger. It means that Lucas Mensa will back-up Martín Elías at flyhalf with the speedy Castiglioni at home in the centers.

While there are only three capped players in the Argentine selection – scrumhalves Felipe Ezcurra and Gregorio del Prete the others – this remains a very competitive side. Second row Franco Molina and fullback Santiago Carreras were training with the Jaguares until only recently and both are considered future Pumas. Wingers Julián Domínguez and Matías Osadczuk are also highly rated, the latter an HSBC Sevens Series star who has already participated in senior Argentine training camps.

Last year’s match saw the USA winning 17-10 in Los Angeles with the Eagles fielding a roster of similar strength. In fact this year’s side is a step up in quality with France-based Greg Peterson adding size and experience at lock and Premiership regulars AJ MacGinty and Paul Lasike genuine stars in the backline.

Expect this match to be as fiercely contested as it was 12 months ago. The Argentines are not just playing for pride but also for spots in the Jaguares or potentially the Currie Cup, with the Pampas set to be revived later this year. For the Eagles it’s an opportunity to make a statement with the team at an all-time high of 12th on the World Rankings and eyeing upsets in Japan later this year. A loss would be a grand disappointment after the exceptional results of 2018.

Working in the USA’s favor is that the Argentine scrum no longer carries its fearsome reputation of days past. Brazil shoved them off the ball and both Nicolás Solveyra and Gaspar Baldunciel are relative lightweights in the front row. Even Lucas Favre, a stocky and awkward tighthead, will concede bulk to his opposite Titi Lamositele and will not bring anything the Saracens man has not encountered before.

Nick Civetta and Cam Dolan loom as considerable obstacles to Argentine success at the lineout and the midfield pairing of Lasike and Bryce Campbell substantially outweigh their counterparts. If the home side is going to find success they will depend on speed and accuracy. Brute force is not an option.

Gold & MacGinty have done their homework. They will avoid kicking blindly to the dangerous back three and will look to win the collisions with the likes of Lasike and Hanco Germishuys unlike any of the ball carrying options available to Argentina. Strength of will keeps the home side in the match to the end but is not enough to overcome an Eagles side at the height of their powers.

Kickoff is set for 5pm local time, 3pm Eastern, noon Pacific. Live broadcasts will be available on ESPN in South America, FloRugby in the USA, and online at TSN.ca in Canada. Those located elsewhere can watch on the World Rugby website.

ARGENTINA XV
1 Nicolás Solveyra, 2 Gaspar Baldunciel, 3 Lucas Favre, 4 Jerónimo Ureta, 5 Franco Molina, 6 Francisco Gorrissen, 7 Lautaro Bavaro (capt.), 8 Nicolás Sbrocco, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 10 Martín Elías, 11 Julián Domínguez, 12 Lucas Mensa, 13 Agustín Segura, 14 Matías Osadczuk, 15 Santiago Carreras

Replacements: 16 Axel Zapata, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Marco Ciccioli, 19 Santiago Portillo, 20 Benito Ortíz de Rosas, 21 Gregorio del Prete, 22 Teo Castiglioni, 23 Facundo Cordero

USA
1 Titi Lamositele, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 3 Dino Waldren, 4 Greg Peterson, 5 Nick Civetta, 6 John Quill, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Shaun Davies, 10 AJ MacGinty, 11 Marcel Brache (capt.), 12 Paul Lasike, 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Gannon Moore, 15 Will Magie

Replacements: 16 Dylan Fawsitt, 17 Chance Wenglewski, 18 Paul Mullen, 19 Nate Brakeley, 20 David Tameilau, 21 Ruben de Haas, 22 Tadhg Leader, 23 Dylan Audsley

Date: Saturday, February 9
Venue: Marabunta RC, Cipolletti
Kickoff: 17:00 local (12:00 Pacific, 15:00 Eastern)
Referee: Francisco González (URU)
Broadcasts: ESPN (Brazil), ESPN 3 (South America), FloRugby (USA), TSN.ca (Canada), World Rugby