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

Canada Women
Canada finished third at the Cape Town Sevens this past weekend. Though they were beaten by eventual champions New Zealand in the Semi Finals, they earned a narrow win over the Women’s Eagles in the Quarter Finals and an extra-time victory over France in the Bronze Final.

Ghislaine Landry, Britt Benn, Alev Kelter
North America had three selections in the women’s Dream Team once again. Landry and Benn were repeat nominations for Canada, having also earned recognition in Dubai. Kelter was a deserved choice after leading the tournament in points despite playing only four games.

Major League Rugby
It was quite the week for Major League Rugby with a new commissioner hired and confirmation that the competition will undergo further expansion to include Dallas and Los Angeles in 2021. Both cities are prime locations, major markets that are easily-accessed hubs. The 2020 season will see three new teams with Atlanta, Boston, and Washington DC each being the bases for new competitors. New playing kits for all 12 teams were unveiled late last week.

Rugby ATL
The team doesn’t seem in any rush to tell anyone about their plans, but ATL have made some key additions to their roster ahead of their inaugural campaign. South Africans will be plentiful as forwards Johan Momsen and Marno Redelinghuys join backs Kurt Coleman and Ryan Nell in joining the expansion franchise. More cavalry is on the way with another signing to be revealed later on Monday afternoon.

NOLA Gold
The Gold celebrated their move to a new home in 2020 this past week. A lease agreement with the city has been secured and the team will move from its previous home at Archbishop Shaw High School to a re-purposed baseball stadium on the other side of the Mississippi River. The Shrine on Airline will be dubbed ‘The Gold Mine’ with the team hoping the move will spark a significant increase in attendance.

MLR vs SLAR Champions fixture
The Americas could have an official club champion in 2020. Plans to hold a match between the champions of North America’s Major League Rugby and South America’s Súper Liga are well underway, with the unusual venue of Mexico reportedly being considered to host the historic contest.

Olímpia Lions
Early signs are that Paraguay’s first professional rugby team is to be competitive. Pumas Gabriel Ascárate and Manuel Montero are among the recruits. Also joining the team from Argentina are hooker Axel Zapata, tighthead prop Facundo Maina, lock Federico Gutiérrez, and center Santiago Resino.

Argentina win Ipanema Beach Tournament
Argentina was victorious in both the men’s and women’s sections of the 2019 Beach Rugby tournament at Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema Beach. Argentina were also double champions in 2018 with the men having won every edition of the competition aside from 2016 which was won by Uruguay. Brazil’s were women’s champions in 2014-2017.

Argentina Winger Stocks
When Argentina defeated England in London in 2006 José Maria Nuñez Piossek and Pablo Goméz Cora were the starting wingers. Neither player featured at RWC 2007 with the latter player appearing in what was his fourth, and final, test match. Horacio Agulla was a starter throughout RWC 2007 yet was an amateur. In 2019 Argentina has no shortage of professional wingers with a minimum of thirteen being in contention for places in Los Pumas in 2020.

Santiago Cordero and Juan Imhoff
Speaking of Argentine wingers two of them were try scorers in Europe this past weekend. Santiago Cordero showed his magic feet to score against Agen in the Challenge Cup while Juan Imhoff ran in a double in the Champions Cup against the Ospreys. Of note is that Mario Ledesma selected a center, Matías Moroni, ahead of both for the Rugby World Cup.

 

UNDER

Americas Men at Cape Town Sevens
Argentina were eliminated by France at the Quarter Finals stage of the Cape Town Sevens. Canada finished 11th and the USA 9th. With this being the run-in to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the prospects of an Americas entry winning a medal could use a boost in the new year.

Patricio Fernández
Lyon are the Top 14 competition leaders but in the European Champions Cup the club is not delivering. This past weekend saw the club travel to Treviso and lose against Benetton. It was the Italian’s first Champions Cup win since 2015. Fernández was the starting fly half for Lyon. It was an opportunity to press for international duty though losses of this nature will have the opposite effect.

Russia and RWC 2023 Qualifiers
A press release is expected from World Rugby over the matter of RWC 2023 and Russia. The world’s largest country has already been banned from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and the 2022 FIFA World Cup following a dropping scandal. Given rugby’s values it is highly noteworthy that World Rugby has not yet commented on the matter. Moreover, considering Romania, and Spain’s RWC 2019 disqualification this really is inconsistent from rugby’s governing body.

Stade Français
Stade Français are bottom of the Top 14 and also struggling in the European Challenge Cup. This past weekend they fell to a home defeat against the Bristol Bears. Pumas Nicolás Sánchez, and Pablo Matera were involved, the latter receiving a yellow card.

Mont-de-Marsan
In the Pro D2, Stade Montois were beaten 11-6 at home by Nevers on Friday. Mont-de-Marsan had Uruguayan RWC scrumhalf Agustín Ormaechaea in addition to Argentine props Carlos Muzzio and Jerónimo Negrotto, and Argentina’s Italy-capped second row Leandro Cedaro. The result sees Nevers up to 9th while Mont-de-Marsan are 11th.

Dallas City Council
A professional rugby team is headed for Dallas in 2021 but where they will play is anyone’s guess. It might have been at Reverchon Park, but Dallas City Council rejected a proposal that would have seen the century-old facility given a $15 million facelift. The decision left many shaking their heads, and leaves Donnie Nelson & Co. to look elsewhere for their club’s new home.