Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
In the first of three Wednesday fixtures Argentina face the USA in Kumagaya. The Pool C fixture is to be the third for the Eagles and the final match for Los Pumas. Although Argentina have been eliminated from the Quarter Finals equation the fixture is nonetheless not a dead rubber. To the contrary a win can secure automatic qualification for RWC 2023.
The battered Pumas go into the game as a much altered side. Head Coach Mario Ledesma has made nine alterations, some of which are likely to be the final ever appearance in Pumas colors.
In the forwards Santiago Medrano replaces Juan Figallo at tight head; Matías Alemanno takes over from the suspended Tomás Lavanini in the second-row; Juan Manuel Leguizamón replaces Marcos Kremer at flanker; and Rodrigo Bruni takes over from Javier Ortega Desio at N8.
For Bruni and Ortega Desio it is to be the first match of the tournament. Also making his only appearances are to be replacement tight head Enrique Pieretto. Missing out is Santiago Socino who traveled as the third choice hooker and will go home without playing at all.
In the backline there are five changes. There is a double alteration in the halves as Tomás Cubelli’s injury sees a start for Felipe Ezcurra while Nicolás Sanchez replaces Benjamín Urdapilleta.
Jaguares captain Jerónimo de la Fuente continues at inside center though he will have a new partner as Juan Cruz Mallía replaces Matías Orlando. Mallía was used at fullback this year in Super Rugby as back-up to Emiliano Boffelli. This saw Joaquín Tuculet overlooked for most of the campaign. He will start vs the Eagles together with the exiting finishers of Santiago Carreras, and Bautista Delguy in the back-three.
USA Head Coach Gary Gold has retained twelve of the starting players from last week’s fixture against France. The changes see Ruben de Haas in for Shaun Davies at scrum-half; Paul Lasike back to fitness to play inside center; and Greg Peterson promoted from the bench to lock the scrum.
With Lasike back in the team Marcel Brache moves to the wing with Martin Iosefo dropping to the bench. Peterson takes over from Nick Civetta who misses out on a place in the 23 altogether.
Despite there being annual international competition between the countries in the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) there has not actually been a capped test match between Argentina and the USA since 2003. Los Pumas were 42-8 winners at home on that occasion.
Argentina have won all prior capped fixtures between the teams. The closest the Eagles came to winning was a 29-26 defeat in Nepean, Canada in 1996. Argentina enter Wednesday’s match as favorites to win again, this time by a margin of 16 points.
TEAMS
ARGENTINA
1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Julián Montoya, 3 Santiago Medrano, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Matías Alemanno, 6 Pablo Matera (capt.), 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 9 Felipe Ezcurra, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 11 Santiago Carreras, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 13 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Bautista Delguy, 15 Joaquín Tuculet
Replacements: 16 Agustín Creevy, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Marcos Kremer, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Benjamín Urdapilleta, 23 Matías Moroni
USA
1 Eric Fry, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 3 Titi Lamositele, 4 Nate Brakeley, 5 Greg Peterson, 6 Tony Lamborn, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 AJ MacGinty, 11 Marcel Brache, 12 Paul Lasike, 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Blaine Scully (capt.), 15 Mike Te’o
Replacements: 16 Dylan Fawsitt, 17 Olive Kilifi, 18 Paul Mullen, 19 Ben Landry, 20 Ben Pinkelman, 21 Nate Augspurger, 22 Will Hooley, 23 Martin Iosefo
Date: Wednesday, October 09
Kick-Off: 13:45 local (Tuesday 21:45 Pacific, 12:45 Eastern, 01:45 Rio de la Plata)
Venue: Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistants: Jaco Peyper (South Africa) & Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
Broadcasts: ESPN 3 (Latin/South America), NBC Sports Network (USA), TSN 1/4 (Canada)
