Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

 

UP

Argentina XV
History was made with the Argentina XV claiming their first-ever ARC Grand Slam, doing so a year after the USA became there first to achieve the feat. The Argentines were the first team to finish with a perfect 25 competition points and set numerous scoring records. In the coming weeks positive news is expected with the players set to form a team to play in the Currie Cup.

Uruguay
Is this the best Uruguayan team ever? A second placed finish in the ARC would certainly suggest so. Los Teros’ final match was a 42-20 win over Brazil on Saturday. It ended an unbeaten campaign in terms of test matches in the ARC. Of note is Uruguay was never quite at full strength which suggests they will be far more competitive at this year’s World Cup than in 2015.

USA vs Canada
The Eagles were forced to dig deep and that they did to claim a five point win over Canada on Friday. The result sees the Eagles finishing the ARC in a disappointing third place but now have a better understanding of what is required in the build-up to RWC 2019. Canada meanwhile gave their best performance of the tournament and came desperately close to beating the USA for the first time since 2013. They were absent several leading players and Kingsley Jones now has some tough decisions ahead of their next set of games in the Pacific Nations Cup.

Bermuda
With a 43-14 win over Jamaica Bermuda secured their place in the 2019 RAN Championship. Their home victory was both comfortable and impressive. The team can now build towards their summer campaign where they will look to win matches rather than be competitive in defeat as was the story in 2018.

Colombia
New ground has been broken in South America as Colombia’s High Performance Rugby Program is underway. The most populated Spanish-speaking country in South America joins Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay in investing in the future. Among the incoming changes is the creation of a domestic competition, the Copa Colombia.

Vancouver Sevens
This past weekend fully vindicated World Rugby’s decision to renew the Vancouver stop for another four years. BC Place has become one of the favorite destinations of players and fans alike on the circuit and the superb atmosphere delivered once again. On the field the USA’s Cup Final streak came to an end but a superb win over England in the Quarter Final guaranteed their lead at the top of the table was safe. Canada showed signs of improvement despite losing captain Nathan Hirayama to injury while both Argentina and Chile also had some positives to build on for Hong Kong.

Connor Braid
The Canadian has been in fine form his season with the past two tournaments in particular highlighting his class. Braid earned DHL Impact Player honors in both Las Vegas and Vancouver and was this past weekend named to the Dream Team despite his team’s 10th-place finish. Canada fans might recall that he was a key part of the 2015 World Cup side before being injured against Italy. Kingsley Jones might well be having a conversation with Damian McGrath in the coming days to secure Braid’s services for RWC 2019.

Toronto Arrows
After falling behind 20-3 thanks to a dreadful first half, the Arrows somehow rallied to score 24 unanswered points and defeat the San Diego Legion on Sunday. England u20 international Jack Nay made his club debut while youngster Avery Oitomen stole the show with a superb individual performance. The team is now 3-3 and have only two more road games their they enjoy eight consecutive home matches to end the regular season.

Glendale Raptors
The Raptors were clear winners over Austin Elite on Saturday. Their 38-19 victory brings their unbeaten run of matches up to four. After a slow start to the campaign, last year’s finalists are starting to heat up and will now welcome back Eagles starts Shaun Davies, Will Magie, and Hanco Germishuys. The rest of Major League Rugby is now on notice.

Seattle Seawolves vs Houston SaberCats
Houston did their best to spoil the party but like the Eagles before them, the Seawolves turned it on in the final minutes to close out the game and earn their fourth win of the season. As expected the top of the table is fast becoming congested and Seattle will be aiming for a bonus-point win against Austin this week. The SaberCats are falling out of playoff contention, if they aren’t already, but at least put up a fight in Seattle which was more than could be said about their woeful performance against New York.

Avery Oitomen
If the 19-year-old flyer didn’t have your attention before, he sure does now. Oitomen scored two tries and was an inspirational figure for the Arrows in their stunning come-from-behind win over San Diego. Perhaps most concerning for MLR opposition is that Oitomen may not even make the Arrows lineup this week as the ARC contingent returns. The impressive depth of Toronto’s roster will pay dividends on their home stand.

Moe Abdelmonem
The breakdown specialist has been flying under the radar in Canada while playing for the low-profile Atlantic Rock. Those who have seen him in action before knew what to expect, however, and Abdelmonem gave Austin fans something to cheer about with a superb effort on debut. The Elite aren’t going to make the playoffs but perhaps they can now lay the foundations for a competitive side in the 2020 season with their newest addition a key part of the equation.

Pumas in Europe
Mario Ledesma is presently in Europe meeting with players he is considering selecting for Los Pumas this year. In all there are fourteen names and all can now be officially deemed to have realistic chances at selection. They are loose head props Facundo Gigena, and Lucas Noguera Paz; hookers Tomás Baravalle, and Santiago Socino; tight head props Juan Figallo, Francisco Gómez Kodela, and Ramiro Herrera; lock Mariano Galarza; N8 Facundo Isa; fly halves Nicolás Sánchez, and Benjamín Urdapilleta, center Marcelo Bosch; and wingers Santiago Cordero, and Juan Imhoff.

Santiago Cordero
Two first half tries from Santiago Cordero helped the Exeter Chiefs to an away win this weekend. It saw him named Player of the Week in England by Premier Rugby. Cordero’s form this season makes his selection on the Argentine roster for RWC 2019 virtually assured.

Facundo Gigena
Also scoring a try in the English Premiership this weekend was Gigena. The former Jaguares loose head prop crossed for his first try in the English Premiership doing so in what was his third consecutive start for the Tigers. All of a sudden Argentina have an additional option to think over for Japan.

 

UNDER

Chile
Chile are under fire. It is not due to having lost all their matches nor necessarily because they conceded 85 points against the Argentina XV. Rather it is based on Chile failing to field a side remotely resembling the genuine Los Cóndores best team. This must be addressed to continue playing in the ARC in 2020 and beyond.

Joaquín Montes
Rugby has lost leading Uruguay official Joaquín Montes to retirement. The veteran officiated many matches and was among the leading officials from South America. His career spanned many years ranging from Brazil vs Colombia in 2016 to the 2019 ARC. His retirement is a massive loss for high performance officiating in Uruguay and the entire region.

Utah Warriors
The Utah Warriors were no match for RU New York on Friday evening. The home side were beaten 47-21 and continue to slide down the MLR standings. The Warriors were outscored by seven tries to two and must now use their upcoming bye round to right the wrongs before they play the SaberCats in Houston.

Austin Elite
The long season continued for Austin Elite on Saturday as they were outclassed by the Glendale Raptors. Too many players fell off tackles or were beaten completely by Glendale’s running lines and footwork. With zero wins from six, now is the time to start building for next season. Many individuals – staff included – may be playing for their jobs in the coming weeks.

Jaguares
Having been resilient in defense in prior matches Los Jaguares were anything but against the Lions on Saturday. Gonzalo Quesada’s side were beaten 47-39, conceding seven tries. Quesada fielded a line-up with 11 changes from the prior outing and more is expected for this coming weekend’s match against the Stormers.

Emiliano Boffelli, Matías Orlando
Injury concerns continue to mount for Los Jaguares. Emiliano Boffelli made his 2019 debut against the Lions but was off before the completion of the opening quarter. Matías Orlando had been named on the bench but was unable to play. Both are in doubt to face the Stormers.

World Rugby Nations Championship To Divide Americas
For some the proposed World League is a blessing while for others it is an abomination. If the Nations Championship were to get off the ground it would firmly divide opinion within the Americas and vastly change annual competition. On present standings Canada is listed in Division 3 alongside Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, and the Cayman Islands. The USA in Division 2. This in itself is poor for both while it would mean that neither would play against a Tier 1 side.