Age On Uruguay’s Side For RWC 2023

Age is on Uruguay’s side for RWC 2023. Of Los Teros’ 31-man roster that competed in Japan 2019 only six players are currently aged 30 or higher. This means that little changes will be required to begin the RWC 2019-2023 cycle and that the vast majority of players could very well be similar in four years time.

In Japan 2019 Uruguay were captained by flanker Juan Manuel Gaminara. He became captain in 2016 and is now aged 30. His understudy is N8 Alejandro Nieto who is the oldest player on the roster, aged 31. The remaining players aged 30 or older are tight head Juan Pedro Rombys (32), second-rower Diego Magno (30), winger Leandro Leivas (31), and fullback Gastón Mieres (30) who turned 30 during RWC 2019 itself.

Of Uruguay’s loose head props Mateo Sanguinetti (27) is the oldest. He together with Facundo Gattas (24), and Joaquín Jaunsolo (21) are all very well placed to remain in the team for years to come.

Starting hooker Germán Kessler (25) is another who will be in the team for a long time yet. There is additional youth in replacement Guillermo Pujadas (22) as well as the versatile Gattas.

Diego Arbelo (25) started at tight head against Fiji, Australia, and Wales while Juan Pedro Rombys (32) started against Georgia. Of note is that both are homebased while Juan Echeverría (28), who was not fully match-fit, plays Major League Rugby. All will be in the frame for the RWC 2023 qualifiers.

Uruguay’s starting second-row of Ignacio Dotti (25), and Manuel Leindekar (22) performed very well in Japan. Diego Magno (30) and Franco Lamanna (28) were the understudies. All four will be able to play in the RWC 2023 qualifiers as an absolute minimum.

At flanker captain Juan Manuel Gaminara (30) was joined on the roster by Manuel Ardao (21), Santiago Civetta (21), Juan Diego Ormaechea (28). Their ages speak for themselves. At N8 Alejandro Nieto (31) and Manuel Diana (23) are also well placed to be in the team for the RWC 2019 qualifiers and beyond.

At scrum-half Santiago Arata (23) Tomás Inciarte (23), and Agustín Ormaechea (28) are all young. The oldest of the three joins starting fly half Felipe Berchesi (28) as being likely to remain firmly in the team during the upcoming RWC cycle.

In addition to Berchesi Uruguay have fly half options in Juan Manuel Cat (23) and Felipe Etcheverry (23). The former plays outside center when Berchesi is in the lineup. He has thereby played a lot both inside and outside Andrés Vilaseca (28) who is another who looms as still being around at RWC 2023. The remaining centers who went to Japan are the versatile Inciarte (23) and Agustín Della Corte (22).

At wing and fullback Uruguay had aged players when compared to the RWC 2019 roster as a whole. Federico Favaro (28), Nicolás Freitas (26), Leandro Leivas (31), Gastón Mieres (30), and Rodrigo Silva (27) will certainly be in the mix for the RWC 2023 qualifiers.

There are sufficient grounds to conclude that few of Uruguay’s RWC 2019 players will not be selected for the RWC 2023 qualifiers, a luxury which will enable Uruguay to develop further during the RWC 2019-2023 cycle than that from that of RWC 2015-2019. In Uruguayan rugby terms this is a Golden Age.