ARC Team of the Week

It was another exciting week of the Americas Rugby Championship with the most dramatic result of the tournament coming in Seattle. Uruguay are rewarded with the most selections this week in a side that features players from every team, an appropriate result given that each game was competitive.

1 – Mateo Sanguinetti (Uruguay) Helped win the scrum battle against a much bigger Eagles pack. Very prominent in the loose and showed his experience with a sneaky try to start the game. Brazil’s Caíque Silva absolutely destroyed Chile’s scrum and lasted nearly 80 minutes.

2 – Joe Taufete’e (USA) There’s no denying Big Joe after his record-setting performance against Los Teros. Unfortunately for him he couldn’t celebrate along with victory. His opposite, Germán Kessler, also played well and settles for post-game bragging rights.

3 – Jardel Vettorato (Brazil) Asked to play the full 80 minutes and somehow made it through. Along with Silva absolutely pulverized the Cóndores scrum such that there was a legitimate question of whether it was still safe to be contested.

4 – Jerónimo Ureta (Argentina XV) Charged down a clearance attempt just seconds into the game that created the opening try. Active in the loose and a primary target in the lineout. Ureta did an admirable job in the absence of Franco Molina.

5 – Kyle Baillie (Canada) Once again the class of the Canadian side. Plays with unreserved intensity and he muscled his way over early in the second half to breathe some life into his side. Nick Civetta also played well for the Eagles in defeat.

6 – Martín Sigren (Chile) His team was decidedly second best in the first half but the captain played a significant role in slowing down Brazil’s possession. The Cóndores rallied in the second half and put the Tupis under huge pressure, with Sigren again filling his team with confidence.

7 – Hanco Germishuys (USA) The frustrations were clear but Germishuys can rest easy knowing he played his role. His charging run down the sideline late in the game created the try for Blaine Scully and gave the Eagles hope, though they would ultimately fall short.

8 – André Arruda (Brazil) Set piece aside it wasn’t his team’s greatest match with numerous unforced errors committed. Arruda showed well, however, with some strong running and most notably in defense where he denied Chile a certain try with a last-ditch tackle.

9 – Santiago Arata (Uruguay) His mere presence changes the Teros attack as the defense is required to be more alert near the breakdown. Arata provided quick service and also defended bravely as ever, tackling ball carriers well beyond his weight.

10 – Juan Manuel Cat (Uruguay) Los Teros may at last have solved their flyhalf problem for the World Cup. Felipe Berchesi will return this weekend but Cat has shown that he is a capable alternative. His running game created three tries including one for himself on the weekend.

11 – Federico Favaro (Uruguay) Actually lined up on the right wing but has played both and deserves his place. Scored two tries, his first a searing break through the middle that paralyzed the Eagles defense. Nicolás Freitas was the left winger and unlucky not to get the call himself.

12 – Andrés Vilaseca (Uruguay) Won his 50th cap for his country and did so in style. Strong in defense and a steadying influence in the midfield. His touch finders were excellent and he took over the goal-kicking duties from Favaro in the second half of the game.

13 – Tomás Cubilla (Argentina XV) A breakout performance for the youngster in his first ARC start. Scored two tries and won a key turnover in defense. On the other end of the experience spectrum, Joaquín Prada was again a class act for Los Teros.

14 – Matías Osadczuk (Argentina XV) Earned man-of-the-match honors against Canada for a dominant physical performance on both sides of the ball. Broke clean through from a set piece in the first half that also showed off his deceiving pace.

15 – Gastón Mieres (Uruguay) Covered a huge amount of ground and completely nullified a persistent and ultimately ineffective Eagles kicking game. His brilliant counter-attack started what turned out to be the winning try for Freitas.