Chile name strong squad to prepare for Portugal

Chile have named a strong group of 26 players to prepare for Chile’s match against Portugal on November 16. Pablo Lemoine will have his best domestic talent available for the one-off test and has arranged a run-through opposite Argentine side San Juan this coming weekend.

There is only one overseas addition in Spain-based Augusto Sarmiento, but veteran lock Pablo Huete has returned from France while Marcelo Torrealba is back from a stint in Major League Rugby. Both look to be set to join the new South American professional league due to be kick off in February.

First choice second row Mario Mayol makes a welcome return after a year’s absence from the side and loosehead prop Iñaki Gurruchaga is back in contention having been left in the wilderness since winning two caps as a 20-year-old in the 2016 Americas Rugby Championship.

With four regular scrumhalves named in the backs, it appears as though Domingo Saavedra will be considered as an outside center with Torrealba likely to line up on the wing. Powerful midfielder Vicho Ayarza is named though older brother Ramón and younger brother Iñaki have both stayed with their French clubs at Montauban and Bayonne respectively.

Los Cóndores were due to host the match in Valparaiso but due to the ongoing civil unrest it has been moved to San Carlos de Apoquindo on the outskirts of Santiago. Portugal will play Brazil in São Paulo on Saturday in the first of their two-match tour.

FORWARDS
Javier Carrasco (Old Reds), Matías Dittus (Uni Católica), Iñaki Gurruchaga (Old Johns), José Tomás Munita (Uni Católica), Augusto Böhme (Uni Católica), Tomás Dussaillant (Old Boys), Javier Eissmann (Uni Católica), Pablo Huete (Old Boys), Mario Mayol (Old Boys), Augusto Sarmiento (Cisneros, ES), Nicolás Garafulic (COBS), Thomas Orchard (Old Lions), Clemente Saavedra (Old Boys), Martín Sigren (Old Boys), Ignacio Silva (PWCC), Benjamín Soto (Uni Católica)

BACKS
Juan Pablo Larenas (Uni Católica), Beltrán Vergara (Old Boys), Benjamín Baraona (Uni Católica), Santiago Videla (Old Boys), Vicente Ayarza (Old Boys), José Ignacio Larenas (Uni Católica), Domingo Saavedra (Old Boys), Lucca Avelli (PWCC), Marcelo Torrealba (Old Boys), Christian Huerta (Stade Francais)