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Uruguay’s match preparation for RWC 2019 will conclude in Montevideo on Saturday. Los Teros will play host to the Argentina XV in a non-capped international at the Estadio Charrúa.
The status of the match enables there to be additional replacements than normal. Uruguay have therefore been afforded the opportunity of playing their entire RWC roster. Of the 31 players all but Felipe Berchesi will play against the Argentina XV. In his place the starting fly half will be Felipe Etcheverry with center Juan Manuel Cat to be the goal-kicker.
The side named is very close to that expected to face Fiji in Los Teros’ opening pool match against Fiji in Kamaishi. Notable selections with this in mind come at scrum half with Agustín Ormaechea starting ahead of Santiago Arata; fullback with Rodrigo Silva ahead of Gastón Mieres; and second-row where Franco Lamanna will play rather than flanker and Ignacio Dotti will be a replacement.
Argentina’s leading players are in Australia preparing for RWC 2019. This fact does not mean that the Argentina XV team named to face Uruguay is understrength. To the contrary it is loaded with names not only from Los Jaguares XV in the Currie Cup First Division but there are also Jaguares players from Super Rugby.
Starting in the front-row will be Jaguares props Juan Pablo Zeiss, and Lucio Sordoni while Lucas Paulos will join them in the scrum, playing in the second-row. Completing the Jaguares’ forwards is new signing Bautista Pedemonte who will play flanker.
Starting at scrum half will be Gonzalo Bertranou. He is to be one of two backs from Super Rugby in the side.The other is winger Sebastián Cancelliere while both Ignacio mend, and Santiago Chocobares trained with Los Jaguares in January.
Uruguay’s side is the genuine article while the Argentina XV is the national next of XV and the side named is close to replicating this. With Super Rugby players involved the Argentina XV will be a stronger side than that seen for much of 2019. They enter are favorites to win by 10 points.
TEAMS
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Germán Kessler, 3 Diego Arbelo, 4 Franco Lamanna, 5 Manuel Leindekar, 6 Juan Manuel Gaminara (capt.), 7 Santiago Civetta, 8 Alejandro Nieto, 9 Agustín Ormaechea, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Andrés Vilaseca, 13 Juan Manuel Cat, 14 Leandro Leivas, 15 Rodrigo Silva
Replacements: 16 Facundo Gattas, 17 Juan Echeverría, 18 Juan Pedro Rombys, 19 Diego Magno, 20 Ignacio Dotti, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 Federico Favaro, 23 Gastón Mieres, 24 Tomás Inciarte, 25 Agustín Della Corte, 26 Manuel Ardao, 27 Joaquín Jaunsolo, 28 Juan Diego Ormaechea, 29 Manuel Diana, 30 Guillermo Pujadas
ARGENTINA XV
1 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 2 Axel Zapata, 3 Lucio Sordoni, 4 Rodrigo Fernández Criado, 5 Lucas Paulos, 6 Santiago Grondona, 7 Bautista Pedemonte, 8 Santiago Montagner, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 13 Juan Pablo Castro, 14 Sebastián Cancelliere, 15 Facundo Cordero
Replacements: 16 José Luis González, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Mauro Genco, 19 Ignacio Calas, 20 Lucas Bur, 21 Manuel Bernstein, 22 Santiago Ruíz, 23 Facundo Ferrario, 24 Martín Elías, 25 Gonzalo García
Date: Saturday, September 07
Kick-Off: 3pm (Local)
Venue: Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
Referee: Felipe Balbontín (Chile)
