Up and Under

Up and Under is a weekly exclusive on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.

 

UP

Súper Liga Americana
Launched on Friday, the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby sees South America now having a professional rugby competition. The league will involve six countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. For all involved it was a massive leap forward, ensuring a rise in ability for players from throughout South America.

Olímpia Lions
Paraguay’s first professional rugby team started with a bang. The first player announced on the roster was Argentine winger Manuel Montero. The Pantera is a high-profile player and at 28 still has plenty to offer. Renato Cardona has also been unveiled on the roster. Nine other Paraguayans will join him.

Uruguay u19s
Uruguay qualified for the 2020 World Rugby Junior World Trophy. Los Teritos did so by winning both of their matches in the Sudamericano u19s. The tournament has been played since 2008. Uruguay were the inaugural champions and since then they have contested the final with Chile. Uruguay, and Chile will join Argentina, Canada, Paraguay, and the USA in the Americas u19s Championship.

Argentina
Rugby in Argentina took a boost this past week with Los Ceibos. The Córdoba-based team will play in the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby, becoming Argentina’s second professional team. Unlike Los Jaguares, the team will be privately owned. The team will enable the production of more players and a potential pathway to aiding Los Jaguares, Los Pumas and even a second Argentine Super Rugby franchise.

Tyler Ardron
Three starts for the Barbarians saw Canada’s biggest name doing his country proud for the Barbarians. He started against Fiji in London, Brazil in São Paulo, and Cardiff in Wales. He is now to have a break before resuming training for the Chiefs for the 2020 Super Rugby season. Ardron’s exclusion from Rugby Canada’s nominee list for Men’s XVs Player of the Year is a mystery, to put it lightly.

Maka Unufe
After being forced to wait out a 14-month suspension for a failed drug test stemming from a contaminated supplement, Maka Unufe will finally make a return to the World Sevens Series in Dubai. The 28-year-old center was one of the USA’s best before the hiatus. His return comes just in time to launch his big to be part of the Olympic squad next summer.

Santiago Cordero
Weaving magic on Saturday was Santiago Cordero. The Puma was inexplicably left out of RWC 2019 to play out-of-position Matías Moroni on the wing. Cordero side-stepped around Racing 92 defenders with ease. He also had a try assist, setting-up Fijian Semi Radradra.

Axel Müller
The Pumas Sevens international had an outstanding game for Brive against Stade Français Paris, showing off his footwork and vision on one incisive counter-attack and then intercepting a pass from countryman Nicolás Sánchez to score a vital first-half try in the 26-21 victory. Brive are now in 8th place but just two points behind 3rd-place Montpellier.

Zebre
The wait between wins was extraordinary, but Zebre have finally tasted victory again in the Guinness Pro 14. After more than a calendar year had passed and 20 consecutive league defeats, the Italian franchise defeated the Dragons by a remarkable 39-12 at Rodney Parade on Saturday. Argentine prop Eduardo Bello came off the bench in the second half. He is the only Americas player left at the club after the departures of Marco Ciccioli and Nicolás de Battista in the off-season.

 

UNDER

USA
USA Rugby confirmed reports that the national governing body is in poor financial health. A public statement issued on Wednesday outlined challenges resulting from significant ‘un-budgeted expenditures’ by high performance programs that have left the organization scrambling to repay money owed to both World Rugby and its membership.

Brazil
Brazil’s Head Coach Rodolfo Ambrosio has left his role. While the CBRu are trying to keep the information guarded tightly the reason for his departure was a pay dispute. The union has financial problems due to overspending during the RWC 2015-2019 cycle.

Brazil u19s
Brazil’s were winless in the Sudamérica u19s. The outcome means that Brazil has failed to qualify for the Americas u20s Rugby Championship. Defeat to Paraguay means Brazil will compete in the Americas Rugby Challenge u20s.

Leicester Tigers
Arguably the worst team in the English Premiership this season is the Leicester Tigers. The Midlands side was totally inept against the Northampton Saints on Saturday. The only reason the club is not bottom of the table is that Saracens were docked 35 points for violating the salary cap. Former Jaguares Tomás Lavanini and Facundo Gigena both played on Saturday.

Stade Français
Sitting bottom of the Top 14 an d in trouble are Stade Français. The Parisians were beaten away by Brive on Sunday. In the match Nicolás Sánchez threw an interception pass which fellow Argentine, Axel Müller intercepted to score. Pumas captain Pablo Matera made his debut and looked sharp. The team will need him and a better Sánchez as the season is shaping into a goal of avoiding relegation.