Match Preview – Brazil vs Barbarians

Wednesday evening will be another historic first for Brazil they host the Barbarians in São Paulo. It’s an especially meaningful occasion for the invitational side who have never before played in South America. The match will take place at the spiritual home of the Tupis, the Estádio do Morumbi, and the Brazilian public will be hoping for another spectacle after the memorable contest against the Māori one year ago.

Os Tupis are coming off a narrow win over visitors Portugal but despite the result will not have been satisfied with their performance. The 10 day rest will have given them time to work out the kinks, but the level of opposition is a grand step up in the globe-traveling Baa-Baas.

Rodolfo Ambrosio has made just two personnel changes for the non-cap international. Yan Rosetti drops to the bench with Wilton Rebolo moving to hooker and Joel Ramírez in at tighthead prop, forming an enormous front row that averages 275lbs (125kg) a man. Italy-based Lorenzo Massari gets a start on the right wing in place of Lucas Tranquez.

There are two uncapped players in the bench. It’s the first senior call for giant Sao Jose prop Leonel Moreno, and South African flanker Devon Müller awaits his test debut though he has already played twice in Tupis colors including the Māori game last year. It’s a 6-2 split on the bench with Matheus Claudio also covering the back row.

At the other end of the spectrum, this should be the final international appearance of Lucas Duque. Having represented Brazil in both sevens and fifteens for the last 15 years, the 35-year-old scrumhalf won his 55th cap against Portugal and is now set to retire at the end of the year.

The Barbarians are now under the control of Warren Gatland and the former Wales supremo has swapped out half the pack and four backs from the team that lost to Fiji. Most notable is the appointment of Canada’s Tyler Ardron as captain with Rory Best taking up a spot in the reserves.

Campese Ma’afu, Andrew Makalio, and Hencus van Wyk are the new front row with Angus Cottrell coming in on the blindside flank. Argentine pair Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias and Bautista Ezcurra are called in at flyhalf and right wing respectively, and the midfield features Australia Sevens cap Bill Meakes and World Cup champion Lukhanyo Am.

More changes on the bench see Sharks tighthead Wiehahn Herbst arrive along with US Eagles lock Ben Landry, who is set for his first Barbarians appearance. Beast Mtawarira will wait to make a second half appearance, as will New York-bound Mathieu Bastareaud.

Kickoff is set for 7:30pm local time, 2:30pm Pacific, 5:30pm Eastern. A live broadcast will be available on ESPN in Brazil.

BRAZIL
1 Lucas Abud, 2 Wilton Rebolo, 3 Joel Ramírez, 4 Matteo Dell’Acqua, 5 Luiz Vieira, 6 Cléber Dias, 7 Arthur Bergo, 8 André Arruda, 9 Lucas Duque, 10 Josh Reeves, 11 Daniel Lima, 12 Moisés Duque, 13 Felipe Sancery (capt.), 14 Lorenzo Massari, 15 Daniel Sancery

Replacements: 16 Yan Rosetti, 17 Matheus Rocha, 18 Leonel Moreno, 19 Gabriel Paganini, 20 Matheus Claudio, 21 Devon Müller, 22 Felipe Cunha, 23 Lucas Tranquez

BARBARIANS
1 Campese Ma’afu, 2 Andrew Makalio, 3 Hencus van Wyk, 4 Tyler Ardron (capt.), 5 Luke Jones, 6 Angus Cottrell, 7 Peter Samu, 8 Josh Strauss, 9 Jano Vermaak, 10 Santiago González Iglesias, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 12 Bill Meakes, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 14 Bautista Ezcurra, 15 David Havili

Replacements: 16 Tendai Mtawarira, 17 Rory Best, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Ben Landry, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Joe Powell, 22 Mathieu Bastareaud, 23 Dillyn Leyds

Date: Wednesday, November 20
Venue: Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo
Kickoff: 19:30 local (14:30 Pacific, 17:30 Eastern)
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistants: Francisco González (Uruguay) & Cauã Ricardo (Brazil)
TMO: Xavier Vouga (Brazil)
Broadcasts: ESPN (Brazil)